Storm Winds: Rising
by Kyer
Summary: UNFINISHED Gijinka Mon AU during war. What do you do when the one who saved your life just might be aligned with your enemies? Digimon in humanoid form. No show kids or OC's. Still want to finish this one day. Muse AWOL. 2012 JAN 20, EDITED 1 thru 14
1. A False Calm: Teiru & Wizard

Opening notes (January 2012):

This story was first written during the height of my Wizardmon fascination back in 2001. If anything I was even more enthralled by angst back then so if angst is not your cup of tea, back out now.

Digimon was about monsters who were created by the dreams of children around the world and those images interacting with the nebulous qualities of the internet. Since I have no interest in kids, this story only has the digital monsters and not the humans. However, I'm using the fan-created gijinka form of them...humanized yet still with some aspects of their original physical characteristics...such as Gatomon's cat ears.

Those who remember the original show will 'get' the various name references like Server and Pata. This isn't a necessary part of understanding the story...just an added benefit.

As of this note I'm editing only and really only to fix some of the more glaring typos plus a few more descriptive sentences here and there. Hopefully this will get me motivated to finish the story even though I'm sure every has forgotten it existed by now.

I don't own Digimon. Nor do I know much of anything about the military other than we (in the 'free world' all owe them our lives.

* * *

A False Calm: Teiru & Wizard

Captain Teiru Ange of the Vaccyne Air Force, a slim womon with snow-white skin and purple hair, looked over across the town's sports field where a large audience had gathered. Young and old alike, they had their eyes peeled to the sky. Smiling thoughtfully, she followed their gaze with her intense blue eyes until she spotted the familiar yellow and purple Scout cruising the wind currents.

It was an early jet model-Alpha Class-long decommissioned from active service, but its current owner kept it in just as good a shape as when it had been new. That was a little difficult considering what the owner expected the craft to do most days. This was not to say that it was unworthy of the task- the primitive Alpha Class Scouts made decades ago were built more for maneuverability than speed-but they also had whole crews to keep the temperamental beasts at 'flight ready optimum' back then- not just a single mon.

Hands up to shade her face, Teiru watched as the sleek little plane did tight loop-de-loops, spins, and sudden stalls, almost chuckling at the gasps of the other onlookers as the craft almost-but not quite-crashed a wing tip into the grassy earth before sailing back up into the clouds.

She'd seen this many a time before and had long ago stopped worrying about the pilot's sanity.

'Wizard' well knew how to handle both himself and his machine.

Teiru had met him almost a year before when she had been a prisoner of war. Back then, she was a coveted prize of Captain Myotis 'Nightmare' Belial, the premier ace pilot for the enemy Viralians. A victim of faulty instruments, she'd been obliged to bail out, breaking an arm in the process. The Viralians had been short a doctor, so they had impressed a mercenary pilot who possessed some medical skills into taking care of her until she was well enough to be 'processed'.

She and 'Wizard'-for that was the only name he would give- had after a short period of distrust become fast friends. So much so that he had risked his life to fly her out from underneath the Viralian's noses back to her own side of the conflict.

Wizard had never really told her of his past beyond that he had once been opinionated about the war, but preferred not to give his loyalty to either side anymore since a bombing raid had destroyed his place of childhood. Instead he freelanced as a courier or an entertainer, depending on the state of the world's politics. She had quickly learned that pestering him for additional details had as much a chance of getting more information out of the mon as her attempts at having Wizard join the Vaccyne military got him into an Air Force uniform. Wizard would simply turn away and start 'working' on his plane.

End of conversation.

Ah, the performance was over… he was coming down for real now. She waved at the civilian air security team as she loped over to the plane; they waved back, accustomed to her presence at these demonstrations. From the bottom of the Alpha two thick, structures reminiscent of a quadruped's hind legs unfolded and gently touched down on the field. The whole plane appeared to crouch into a low bow before the approach of royalty as the cockpit's shield opened upwards. A figure wearing a yellowish flight suit with large zippers and a purplish cape emerged from the pilot's seat, sparing a moment from shutting down his instrumentation to give her a little wave.

Grinning, she watched as the modestly-sized plane's owner removed his headgear and tossed it over to her before adjusting his scarf and agilely leaping down from the cockpit to land in a poise that mimicked that of his craft's. The mon's pony tie, however, must have gotten loose and fallen inside the helmet sometime during his flight, allowing dirt blonde hair to flow freely about his neck and shoulders as he righted himself. Smirking a little, she handed the hair piece back to him and watched as he tamed the wild locks once more into their customary place at his back.

Large green eyes like fine glass work, delicately pointed ears, skin the shade of a winter's storm cloud. Her friend was shorter than most males and of a wiry build under the baggy flight suit that made him appear both younger and weaker than he really was-to more than one bully's chagrin. It didn't help that he hardly ever spoke to anyone else and kept to himself, shaking his head at offers of arm wrestling and other common macho displays. Teiru supposed one couldn't really blame the local braggarts for tagging him as an in-training: a hapless and inexperienced youngster not yet into his full adulthood.

But Wizard was no in-training and anything but helpless- and admittedly she loved to be there when he proved it to the idiots, for when he did fight it was like watching a dancer in motion.

Oh, how she adored everything about him really; call it hero worship for his saving her, but it was true.

Such a pity he chose to hide so much of his face behind the ever-present purple scarf that he kept wound around his head from neck to eyeballs, its absence would make it easier to give in when she felt the urge to kiss him.

It had to be because of the scars.

They were one of those things he had never chosen to explain to her, but she had seen his entire face once when he'd thought she was asleep in her cell and he had helped himself to a drink from the water pitcher by her bed. His mouth had been marred by seven pale slashes that ran vertically across that orifice as if someone had purposely and very precisely taken a sharp knife to his lips. Teiru couldn't imagine how he had got them.

Oh, she had asked him about them. But the haunted look that had crept into his eyes after he'd hastily covered himself again had persuaded her to never ask twice.

"Wizard," she said by way of greeting after realizing that she'd been standing there dreamily staring at him for several minutes. Gods… she had it bad!

"What is it, little Gato?" he asked in his soft voice, taking his helmet back while gallantly offering his arm to her. She reluctantly declined. There were too many onlookers watching them and it wouldn't do to add more talk to the grist mills. She could almost hear the tongue wags as it was: "Decorated ace pilot having an affair with a mysterious Datan loner that no one knew much of anything about?" they'd chatter. "Those Datans are not trustworthy. They say they are neutral but are quick to hire themselves out to whomever in a whim. What if he was a spy for the other side?"

Silly old hags. Wizard was a friend. So what if he didn't want to fight in the current war despite the undeniable fact that he could handle a plane as well as any ace and was adept at unarmed combat? So what if Datans worked as much for the Viralians as for the Vaccynes. That didn't automatically make him one with the enemy. Heck, there were quite a few honored Datan enlistees in the Vaccyne military!

Brushing the troubling thoughts aside, Teiru pretended to be offended by his remark. For some reason that she could not fathom, he liked to tease her by comparing her to an untamed feline. "How many times have I told you not to call me that? Do I look like a gato? Do you think I'm just a wild thing who has nothing better to do than hang around worshiping your daredevil antics?"

He shrugged, the twinkle in his eyes letting her know that he was probably grinning like a demon behind that cloth.

"Oh, you! You're incorrigible," she pronounced, then turned to caress his plane which he'd christened 'Thunderball'. Teiru had often joked to her brother, Pata, that Wizard would probably marry the piece of antiquated hardware if he could based on the fact that he spent so much time doting on its every need. "She could maybe use with a touch of paint, you know," she slyly informed him. "I think you must have scraped some off the wing tips that last time."

"She's all right," the stunt pilot said a little defensively, peering at the wing's edge nonetheless. "Thunderball knows I wouldn't hurt her."

Teiru rolled her eyes. "Men! What would you do if 'she' turned out to be a 'he'?"

"Then I guess I'd have to give up my plans to mate her with your 'Claw'," Wizard returned smoothly, continuing with his inspection.

It took her a moment to realize what he meant. She had naturally named her own craft-a top-of-the-line Gamma jet fighter-'Lightning's Claw'; which just so happened to be a very masculine name.

"Okay, so I'm being hypocritical. So sue me." She snickered a bit at the image of him trying to 'breed' their respective machines.

"Sounds like a good idea," Wizard grunted, finishing a quick inspection of the plane's wings and landing gear. He'd do a much more thorough job of checking her over after Teiru had gone back to the base, but for now he'd take a break since she obviously wanted to talk. The small community airfield sported a diner and he started walking in that direction, seemingly unconcerned about whether she followed him or not. "Consider yourself sued. Shall I claim my winner's due now or do you want to go through the whole hassle of getting a judge and jury?"

Teiru laughed as she walked beside him, seeing where he was heading for. "I suppose as retribution you want me to spring for your dinner?"

He paused as if he hadn't thought of that, opening one of the four zippered pockets adorning his yellow flight suit in order to pull out an old time piece. Noting what time it was, he put the object back in its place.

"Since it is dinner hour-yes, that would be acceptable."

"Honestly," Teiru jokingly patted him on the ribs. "I don't know where you put all the food I end up feeding you and still stay so slim. Don't you eat when I'm not here?"

"Well…" he coughed and began walking a little faster towards the diner.

"Wizard!" she jogged a little to get ahead of him, stopping his 'retreat' with a hand to his chest. "Just out of curiosity, when _did_ you last eat?"

"I'm fine," he grunted.

"That's not what I asked." She stared him straight in the eye. "You haven't eaten since I bought you lunch yesterday, have you?"

"No,_ mother_."

He tried to cover it with humor, but she could tell he was getting irritated with this line of questioning.

"Damn it, Wizard, you know it's more dangerous for you to fly after so many hours without eating. What if you get dizzy while doing that dive? I don't want to be watching them scrape what's left of your hide off the burnt up turf!"

"Are you still buying dinner?" he asked, pointedly removing her hand from his torso.

Teiru scowled at him, hands on hips. "If I don't, will you still eat one?"

"Of course."

"_Today?"_ Ange stressed. Another thing she'd learned about him- he tended to twist things to his advantage if you weren't paying attention.

Wizard looked skyward. "Looks like the rains are still holding off."

Bowing to the inevitable, Teiru curbed her temper; there was no use bullying him. The mon wasn't one of her underlings and if she persisted on this he'd point that fact out to her in a not-so-polite manner. Better to try a track that was more likely to get a helpful response.

"Wizard… why didn't you eat?" she whispered, making sure she loaded both question and her eyes with dewy concern. "I can't concentrate on my job if I'm worried you're ill."

It worked.

"I um… blew my ready cash." He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.

The captain's eyebrow rose. He was so frugal with every expense not tied to his plane to the point that he just rented the hangar for Thunderball and for all practical purposes lived there. "_All of it?_ How?"

"Maybe I gambled it away?"

There was that teasing voice again, willing her to overlook something important.

Not this time.

Her ears lowered as her tail rose, ready for a confrontation.

"Maybe your telling me lies."

"Gato…" he sighed in defeat. "Let it go."

"No. What happened, Wizard?" She lightly touched him on the shoulder. "Are you in trouble with your rent? Does Thunderball need replacement parts? I can't promise anything, but-"

"Here."

He opened another pocket and withdrew a small package which was practically shoved into her hands.

"What's this?" Teiru asked, eyeing it uncertainly as if it might explode while in her grasp.

"Happy Birthday."

"But my birthday isn't for six more days."

Her friend's tone was resigned as he chuckled. "I know. But I don't want to be interrogated every hour between now and then. Even I have my limits."

Teiru stuck her tongue out at him, but that only seemed to increase his smug humor, so she turned to inspect the neatly wrapped item in her hand, turning it to see every angle. It could be anything. Well, anything that was very small.

"Wizard, are you saying that you've skipped meals in order to buy me a present?" It was a rhetorical question because obviously he had.

The Datan folded his arms over his chest, waggling an index figure to indicate a negative sentiment. "Uh, uh… I'm not saying anything that might be used against me."

"You did." Frowning, she held the box back to him. "I can't accept this. You should get your money back. I'd rather see you with some decent mass encased in that silly suit of yours than have a dust magnet on my desk."

Jade green eyes showed his hurt over the rejection and she belatedly realized that she should have just gracefully accepted his gift.

"It's neither _a dust magnet_ nor something that I can return," the Datan said in his softest voice, not even rising to defend his rather flamboyant choice in flight wear.

Damn. What did he get her?

"Wizard…" Ange grumbled just a bit as she backed off, "What am I going to do with you?"

He cocked his head. "I thought you were taking me to dinner," he reminded her.

Ange almost whacked him with the package. Instead, she decided to open it. If it was truly something he couldn't return, then there wasn't anything she could do but keep on scolding him until he retreated to his hangar to escape her tongue and temper. If it was returnable, she'd do it herself and stuff the money in his toolbox or someplace similar when he wasn't looking.

The package, as she'd already noted, looked small and unassuming wrapped in its plain brown mailing paper with nothing to give away what it might contain. Probably some old knick-knack he'd picked up from a wandering street vendor. Never one for great patience, she ripped through the modest trappings to get to the prize underneath.

It was a wooden jewelry box.

Heart beating a little bit faster, Teiru popped open the hand-carved lid to reveal an old-fashioned 'friendship' ring with the universal symbol of Light engraved on one side, her name on the other. Carefully, she lifted the golden item out of its container, admiring the craftsmanship. It was a little big for her finger, but that was easy to fix. Only, she wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry with him: This had cost more than the price of a few meals.

She decided on happy.

"Oh, Wizard, it's beautiful. I'll have Patty size it down so I can wear it always."

"No."

He reached over to pry up the bottom of the small box and pulled up a golden chain, then apologetically took back the spherical ornament. "Legend says one should never break a friendship ring lest the friendship itself be affected," Wizard solemnly recited to her as he thread the chain through the ring. He then placed the necklace around her neck. "There. Now it looks twice as pretty."

She blushed, and then surprised him by jumping up enough to plant a quick kiss on his forehead and hugging him tightly, fingers entwining in his dusty-gold hair. She gave him another, longer kiss on the back of his ear and felt him quiver.

To heck with what the town might think! Teiru felt no inclination to let disengage, nor did he seem inclined to pull away.

Gods, but she felt so good next to him, Wizard thought as he breathed deeply of her scent. And the sensitive spot on his ear felt as if it might tingle forever. Still, this was neither the time nor place to alter their relationship. Did you mean to imply earlier that I was going to _get_ dinner or _be_ dinner?" he joked, and then stiffened in her grasp.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head enough to see his eyes lock on something in the distance.

_Just like a soldier's. A raptor's fixation on a potential threat_, she thought a trifle uneasily. "If I didn't trust his word for it…"

"Your brother and your second are heading this way." he said evenly, sharp eyes tracking the two Vaccyne pilots walking briskly toward them.


	2. First Stirrings of Wind

First Stirrings Of Wind

Of the approaching mon, one was pale and slightly pudgy with orange-blonde hair and big, blue eyes. Pata 'Angel Wings' Ange was Teiru's younger brother and every bit the optimist. He smiled at her as she twisted her head to look, waving enthusiastically as he strode forward.

Beside him was an older Vaccyne with deep blue skin and hair, thick muscles flexing under his shirt as he moved. He was everything Pata wasn't: experienced, surly, and untrusting.

Groaning, Teiru reluctantly disengaged from Wizard. Her brother, Pata Ange, wouldn't mind her hugging a Datan, but 1st Lieutenant Vee "Dragon" Rap would. Her second didn't like the neutrality-espousing clan in general and Wizard in particular; taking no pains to hide his animosity. Come to think of it, Patty seemed a bit nervous about Wizard's presence as well.

Something was up.

"Captain," Vee saluted his wing leader, sparing the stunt pilot a nasty glare. "We thought you'd be out here. Care to join us for a drink?"

"Sorry, Dragon, but I owe Wizard a dinner."

"Really," Vee frowned. "And how did that come about?"

Teiru lifted one delicate eyebrow. "That is none of your business, 2nd Lieutenant."

Vee gave a short nod of respect. "Just looking out for the welfare of my commander; these days you never know what sort of _scum _might appear out of nowhere."

Teiru saw Wizard's eyes narrow to emerald slits as he brushed away a lock of hair that liked to hang in front of his face. She moved in front of him before they both started acting stupid. "Wizard, would you mind getting us a table while I talk to my men-in private?"

Her friend hesitated, and then nodded. Teiru waited until he had gone inside before she rounded on her wing mon. "Vee, I invited Wizard to have dinner with me. If you have a problem with him being here then log it and/or butt out. Preferably both so we can share a meal in peace."

"He's a Datan."

"So are half the air techs and a third of the infantry," she coldly reminded him. "You want me to tell Major Garder that we should boot everyone of that clan out?"

"There's a difference, Captain, and you know it. Our guys all have verifiable backgrounds; good reasons to fight the Viralians. We don't know anything about this guy save that he knows how to handle old fighters."

"I know he saved my butt from Nightmare's hell hole of a 'guest' area." She showed him just a little of her teeth. "Or would you rather I had stayed there? Get yourself a nice promotion in my absence?"

Vee's shoulders slumped. "Of course not, Lightning," he contritely denied. "Nobody was more thrilled to have you back as wing commander than me. I'm just saying that it seems awfully convenient that he _happened to be there_ when you were captured, and that he just _happened_ to be good enough to both sneak you out and evade a squadron of Viralian fighters."

"He's a civilian." Teiru countered.

"A suspicious civilian," Vee amended.

Teiru crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stared at him from under half-closed lids. She knew her last argument was weak, but all she really wanted to do was go eat with Wizard; not stand here deflecting accusations agains the Datan simply because Dragon had some bee in his helmet.

Of course there was more to it than Vee feeling more ornery than usual other wise Pata wouldn't be standing there looking like he was guilty.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something you aren't telling me?" She looked from Vee to her brother and back again. Pata looked downright glum. The words Patty and melancholy didn't normally mix company. This couldn't be good. "Patty?"

Pata just looked down at his boots, so it was Vee who answered. "If Wizard was military, we could check his records, but you said he isn't and supposedly his native village was destroyed along with those records, so there should be no way to find any info on him."

"Maybe my ears are acting up, but I could swear I heard a 'but' at the end of that sentence."

"But he _is_ military-_their_ military!" Patty squeaked. He looked embarrassed as Vee placed a restraining hand on the younger ranking officer's shoulder. "That's what we came to tell you."

"That's preposterous!" Teiru hissed. "Wizard's a neutral! It's bad enough you won't leave him be-but to have poisoned Patty here against him too!" She started for the door again. Her 2nd blocked her path.

Vee slowly shook his head, meeting her anger with a look of certainty.

"I had Tenny run a thorough check of all our Datans known to be pilots," he explained. "Now don't go flying of the rim without hearing me out first, Lightning!" he said as she opened her mouth, "Somebody had to do some serious searching on his background more than what Garder ordered. That one was bare bones." Vee explained as she glared at him. "Tenny had to go back a bit, but he finally found a match after pulling up _all_ Datan pilots of the past 30 years based on physical description." He pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to her.

"_Gee, isn't this my day for presents,"_ Teiru thought sourly as she accepted the slim package.

"It's all in there-as much as Tenny could dig up anyway. All I'm asking is that you read it just as if it was about a complete stranger, okay?" He paused before continuing again. "There's even a photo."

Intrigued despite her anger at him for going behind her back on this, Teiru nodded curtly as she stuffed the envelope into her jacket pocket. Wordlessly she turned around and went into the restaurant, intent on not letting Vee's actions ruin her day.

Pata and Vee looked at each other.

"How do you think she'll react?" the youngster asked.

"I don't want to think about it," Vee admitted with a sigh. "Let's just keep an eye out, eh? I want to be ready when the storm hits."

"Do…do you think he'd really try to hurt her?"

"I wouldn't put anything past _them_," Vee growled, pulling open the diner door to enter the building. He'd choose a table furthest from his commander...but still within view in case something happened.

Gnawing his lower lip, Pata looked down, following Vee inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Wizard had thanked her for the meal and left, Teiru had remembered the envelope and pulled it out from under her jacket. She broke the seal, paused for a moment, then tipped the envelope over so that the contents gently slid into her other hand.

The papers inside were few-three sheets total and two of those statistics, but they said a mouthful. Hell...a bellyful...and Teiru's was hurting something fierce by the time she read the last line.

_It couldn't be true._

_It couldn't be…_

_Because if even a tenth of it was true…_

She picked up the one with the photo image of a grey-skinned male in a Viralian Dark Forces uniform with an Ace Captain insignia's on the collar. The blond hair was cropped to neck level and the pilot wasn't wearing a scarf so it was plain to see that his mouth was unmarked. Yet it _was_ undeniably Wizard who was looking back at the camera, his face frozen in stony disinterest of the picture taker.

"How could he have lied to me?" she moaned, crumbling the paper in her fist.

Well, duh! Of course he'd lied. He was clearly a...!

"Shat!"

Angrily she stuffed the documents back into the envelope and headed for the hangar where Thunderball was housed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Humming quietly to himself as he worked on a dirty mechanism, Wizard looked up from Thunderball's footing clamps as Teiru stormed into his rented sanctuary.

"Well, this is a surprise. Isn't it a little late for all good Vaccynes to be out of their—?"

He cut his amused quip short upon seeing the look of fury on her face.

Whipping the necklace off of her neck, she shrieked at him before tossing it down onto the ground. It skittered across the floor towards him.

"Teiru?" he asked carefully, eyes unsure.

"Just what the heck are you?"

He blinked at the discarded necklace, then at her tear-stained face, slowly scooping up the ornament in one hand while getting out of his crouched position. "Care to clarify the question?" he asked warily, clearly perplexed by this behavior on her part. "Did something happen?"

In response, she reared back her arm and let it fly.

Narrowly avoiding the unexpected punch aimed at his jaw, Wizard spun deftly on his heels and grabbed his assailant from behind before she knew it, firmly putting the struggling Vaccyne into a headlock that would keep her fairly immobile while not hurting her unnecessarily. "What is wrong, Teiru? What's this about?" He paused, thinking of possible reasons for her to go bezerk like this. He'd heard no uproar, so the base must be okay; the town seemed quiet too. That ruled out an attack by Viralian forces. Maybe…

"Is Patty all right?" If something had happened to her younger brother then that might explain her demented behavior.

"Get your hands off me," she growled low in her throat. "Stinking Viralian murderer!"

He stiffened at the epithet, but continued to hold on tight as she tried to twist out of his grasp.

Damn-well, that hadn't been her most brilliant strategy ever, had it? What had she been thinking to just mindlessly attack him like that? It wasn't like she hadn't seen him do that move enough times on others. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Would he kill her now? Stuff her body someplace and then finish his mission here-whatever the heck it was?

"Well, I suppose I did ask for clarification," Wizard mused in rueful humor. He took a whiff of air. "No smell of liquor and I know you eschew drugs. What makes you think I'm Viralian when even an in-training barn sweeper can tell by my aura that I'm Datan?"

"Anyone who works for scum might as well _be_ scum!"-his grip slackened at that and she kicked backwards, trying to connect with his knee. Wizard must have anticipated the move, for her foot missed his leg totally, but he let go nonetheless. Moving away from him a few paces, she turned around to face him.

His jade-colored eyes were seething with restrained anger, gloved hands molded into tight fists.

"I don't work for the Viralians anymore. Not since coming here-as you very well know. Tell me what's going on, Teiru. That sort of talk is what I expect from Dragon or ignorant town toughs- not you."

"What's your name?" she acidly spat out.

The question clearly threw him, for he frowned, searching her face for some clue to guide him. "It's Wizard," he said warily.

"Stop lying to me!"

The shadow of something crossed over his face.

Hurt? Well, he could join the club!

"I'm not."

Wiping away her tears, Teiru reached into a pocket and threw Vee's envelope at him. "Then who the heck is that then? And don't tell me he's some sort of twin brother-Captain 'Skull'!

Wizard, who had just pulled out the folded papers and was about to open them up, looked up at her for a moment with an expression she'd never before seen in his eyes:

Fear.

He opened the documents with trembling hands, scanning them in disbelief.

"How did you get these?" he asked in a strained voice. "That bastard told me he'd erased everything…"

"What's the matter, _Captain?_" Teiru sneered. "Your bosses didn't do as good a job covering for their spy as they were supposed to? Very sloppy of them." She couldn't stop herself from pacing the floor as he stood there not knowing what to say, her body a mass of nervous energy. "I must admit you've aged pretty well though… or were the Viralians so hard up for pilots that they allowed kids to fly their aircraft?"

Wizard, meanwhile, was looking as if someone had punched him in the gut. "Teiru, you must believe me..." he began in a pleading voice.

"Believe Captain William 'Skull' Mera?" the Vaccyne pointed an accusing finger at the crumbled paper in Wizard's hand. "First in his section of the Viralian Fighter Pilots and a Dark Forces member with the second highest 'kill' quota of that elite group? Who wouldn't accept the words of such an extinguished 'gentlemon'!"

"Teiru…"

The name was spoken in no more than an anguished breath, but she rounded on him with all the fierceness of a tiger.

"Don't you dare use my name on your filthy mouth like we're still friends! It's Captain Lightning Ange to you! So tell me, why did you 'rescue' me, Captain? Why not just plant yourself here as a regular civilian? Or were your masters hoping I'd pass onto you privileged information? To think that I actually thought you were the greatest thing to walk into my life on two legs! Come on, you bastard, you _owe_ me an answer now before the MP's drag it out of you later. Were you sent as a spy or a saboteur or both?"

Wizard bowed his head, sadly looking at the necklace in his hands. Though unbroken, the ring's surface was badly scuffed, darkness marring the once pristine symbol of Light where it had skidded through a patch of tar.

Tar: Tarnished. How apropos, for the only Light in his life was now as hidden by the muck of his past as the golden sheen was obscured in oily gunk. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Neither. Captain William 'Skull' Mera is dead to both me and the Viralian military. He was officially declared a non-entity over a decade ago and all records that he ever existed _supposedly_ erased, including the memories of him held by his parents and sibling."

Before he could say anything more, the hangar door burst open to Vee, Pata, and three of the Vaccyne Military Policemon.

"Captain-did he hurt you?" Vee asked worriedly as he raced to her side. "Damn it, I thought you'd come to me or the Major instead of going to confront him alone! Pardon my language, captain, but that was a pretty dumb ass…" He trailed off as he saw the look on her face.

Teiru was stunned, hardly acknowledging that the others had even come in. She pushed her wingmon aside in order to see Wizard better. "Is this some sort of sympathy ploy? You expect me to believe that you're one of the 'deleted'?

Wizard also had made no move either to attack or flee the airmon, but stood the same as before, with an expression of utter weariness hanging from his frame.

"No. I don't expect you to believe anything I say. Not anymore."

"Then why say it?"

"Because it's the truth. And I think I owe you that even if you choose to discard it as a lie."

He straightened as he turned to the uncertain VMP's. "I take it you've come for me?"

The lead Vaccyne cleared his throat. "Captain Mera of the Viralian Air Force?"

Grinning wearily, Wizard proffering the paper with his picture on it. "It appears that way."

"You are under arrest on suspicion of espionage. Will you come with us peacefully?"

Wizard gave Thunderball and Teiru a last, rueful look. She looked the other way. "Yes." Relaxing the muscles of his right hand, he let the necklace and ring slip from his grasp to fall to the concrete floor. "There is no other place I _can_ go."


	3. Dust Storm: Things hidden

Dust Storm: Things Hidden

Damn, damn, damn! Why did this have to happen just when life was looking so golden?

"Humphff! Fool's gold," Teiru snorted softly. That's what it had all been. He'd been using her for a game only he and some high-seated Viralians knew of. Her hand went to where the absent friendship ring had rested for such a short time against her bosom. "Fool's gold for a fool."

"Captain Ange?"

Mildly startled, Teiru turned to acknowledge the young mon who had hailed her. "Yes, what is it, ensign?"

"Maam, Major Garder wishes to see you a.s.a.p. in his office."

She curtly nodded that he was dismissed and changed her trajectory for the main complex, wondering if this was about the new captive. Hadn't she already typed up her report-in triplicate-on the whole fiasco? Did they have to keep bringing it up and making her feel more and more like an idiot than she felt already?

Feeling a migraine coming on, Captain Ange briskly knocked on the door with the shiny brass plate bearing the name of the base's commanding officer. Eventually Mera would be gone to either a maximum security prison or the firing squad and they'd file the whole blasted affair away in some dusty cabinet. She wanted it over! She wanted…

She wanted the whole thing to be a horrible nightmare from which she'd wake up and there would be Wizard, her friend and everyday mon waiting to con her into buying him a meal.

"Major Garder, sir? It's Captain Ange. I'm told you wanted to see me?"

The voice on the other side of the door inviting her in, Teiru turned the doorknob and stepped into her superior's office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The despondent figure sitting alone in the dark cell with his knees up to his chin and arms wrapped around both didn't even bother to look up when the overhead light in the hallway was turned on. He was dressed in a drab grey coverall and there were silvery bands fitting snugly around his arms and ankles.

Imprint Shackles: The very latest in prisoner wear, set to the bio aura of the wearer and primed to explode if they were removed from cell area without proper authorization. The theory was that a prisoner wasn't likely to get very far while he bled to death from four useless stumps.

Footsteps echoed hollowly against the metal floor and walls, getting closer until they came to a halt not far from him.

Still the prisoner chose to ignore his visitors.

"There he is, Captain," a male voice spoke more than loudly enough to be heard by the occupant within. "Miserable lump, ain't he? I'll be just up the hall." The voice sounded apprehensive.

"It's all right, Sergeant," Teiru told him lightly, masking the sarcasm she felt. Really, the lengths they were taking were ridiculous! Did they think the captive was capable of killing them all even while in imprint shackles? "It's just one pilot- not a coven of assassins in there. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Yeah, well, don't let down your guard and remember that I'll be here lickety-split if he tries anything."

The sergeant opened the door for her and Teiru stepped inside, the former prisoner flinching a little as its heavy mechanism was closed and locked behind her.

Gods, how she hated cells! That this one was immaculately sterile compared to the one she'd lived in for two weeks under the Viralian's 'hospitality' didn't matter a hoot. A four-sided cage was a four-sided cage and she treasured her freedom.

The reason for her being there said not a word as she moved to sit on the stiff cot he'd ignored in favor of the concrete floor, merely moving his feet a little so she would have room put her own.

Never _could_ get him to sleep in an actual bed. She briefly wondered why Wizard had never availed himself of the comfort of a real mattress, but tossed the thought aside: bedding wasn't on the list of things she needed to ask him about.

It was strange to see the Datan in a plain, charcoal coverall instead of the playful yellow one with its grinning zipper and slashes of red. Stranger still that the purple scarf was no longer wound around his neck and jaw; however, the MP's had been afraid that he might have suicide drugs hidden within his clothing or try to hang himself with the scarf, so he'd been given the jumper and a pair of rudimentary slippers instead. They'd even taken his hair tie. Not that the captive seemed to mind that loss as he had his hair pulled forward and around to take the job of the absent scarf in hiding his mouth.

Best to get this over with.

"Captain Mera?"

Silence.

Was he asleep?

Teiru gave his foot a slight nudge, feeling a little like she was kicking a puppy instead of a documented enemy-and immediately rebuking herself for having the sentiment.

Dammit- She'd promised herself she'd be objective! This was no friend that she should feel sympathy for. He was part of the Viralian war machine that kept peace from the world, shattered young lives and razed whole towns.

Damn Garder for ordering her to participate in this mess! One of the MP's could easily perform this interrogation and probably make a much better job of it. Couldn't he see that she was too close to the subject- unable to completely replace her mental picture of 'Good Friend Wizard' with that of 'Enemy Captain Mera'? But then, wasn't that why Garder had said he wanted her in here?

_Sneaky old bastard._

"Captain Mera?" she repeated, voice hard. (This interview was going to go nowhere real quick if he didn't even respond to her presence let alone provide the answers she'd been sent in to get.)

"You've asked me several times to stop calling you 'Gato'. I will happily oblige if you'll reciprocate by refraining from voicing that name."

Teiru frowned as the leaden voice once more lapsed into silence, the owner having otherwise not moved a muscle since she'd sat down.

"Okay… it's a deal," she said hesitantly, then coughed. Why did he have to just sit there like some part of the wall? It would make her feel a lot less uncomfortable if he'd just _look_ at her! But then again she supposed that right now her comfort wasn't foremost on his mind. And maybe it was better not to see whatever those eyes held? They might contain something she didn't want to see aimed at her.

Still… The concrete had to be awfully cold.

She patted the cot. "Why don't you sit up here and be more at ease?"

Silence again.

Stubborn as always, she sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she just might be stuck here for awhile.

"I've come to ask you a few questions."

A lengthy pause and then the slightly muffled inquiry, "Don't I get a lawyer or doesn't that apply to the pre-convicted?"

Sludge! Double curse Garder and the MP's for making her do this! She hated doing this!

"I'm not here for the court," she said, forcing her voice to stay mild. The MP's had given instructions to act as much as possible as if nothing bad had happened between them: "Pretend your still his friend; give him a chance to confide in you."

Yesterday you said I deserved to hear the truth." She nervously wiped her sweaty hands on her pants. "Well, I'm ready to hear what you have to say."

The prisoner's voice was bitter as he replied, "Maybe, Captain Ange, I'm no longer willing to give it."

She sighed, wishing for the umpteenth time that this was just a bad dream from which she'd awaken any moment. "Wizard… I'm willing to listen now and I doubt I'll get the opportunity later if you insist on being this way."

He raised his face a little, green eyes dull and tired, thin arms and lanky hair still performing the function of hiding his mouth.

"This way? This way..." he mused as if she wasn't there. "What way should I be, do you suppose? How does a dead mon condemned to die behave correctly so as not to upset the order of things?" Wizard apathetically asked of the tiny cracks in the floor. Predictably enough, they didn't answer. "Mmm… Never mind. I imagine this will pass the time until my execution. What do you want to know, Captain?"

"What did she want to know? Teiru thought to herself. Hell- he'd turned her life upside down and gutted her core. What did she want to know? Everything and then some!

"Why don't you start at the beginning like in a regular story?" she prodded, accepting the fact that she really did want to know for the sake of her own curiosity and not just to satisfy the brass.

Was that another reason that Major Garder had put her here? Some sort of psychological balm to her tortured soul?

_Triple damn the sneaky old *manipulating* bastard!_

Letting his head sink back down onto his arms and knees, the Datan took a deep breath and began.


	4. Wizard tells his story

I should say that this story was originally written around 2000 and that I then and now know practically zilch about the military other than they are one darn brave group of people.

Also, that I don't own Digimon.

* * *

Wizard Tells His Story

"You were right, Tei—Captain," he corrected, "in that years ago the Viralians were hard up for pilots. In fact, they were getting rather desperate. Desperate enough to try searching in places that would earlier have been considered a waste of time.

I started out as just another farmer's son when one of the Viralian recruiters happened by as I was using the community's old plane to dust the crops. You see, from as soon as I was big enough to man the controls I always loved to fly and-I'm sorry to say- never did do a totally straightforward _save-the-fuel_ job of it despite the warnings from my parents not to 'show off'. But I was young and cocky and didn't understand their concern until _she_ came by the village: a Viralian recruiting scout.

She waived me down, looking a bit surprised when just this sapling of a kid clambered out of the cockpit. She didn't say her name then or who she was, but she asked me mine and I naively gave it. Then she told me to go back up into the air and 'fly fancy' for her. I was more than eager to comply-I mean here was an adult endorsing my desire to 'waste' fuel! You just didn't get a chance like _that_ every day. So I flew every damned 'fancy' maneuver I'd ever sneaked in-as well as a few I'd only pictured in my head because"-he snickered-"if I'd done them for real, they would have been noticed by the stodgy grownups for sure and I would have been banned from the plane until I was an old geezer."

Catching herself chuckling lightly at the mental picture of him shocking the more staid members of his village, Teiru cleared her throat, waving for him to continue.

"Apparently this scout liked my aerobatic ability, for Miss Devi came again the next day with two soldiers and 'asked' my parents to 'donate' me to the Viralian cause." Wizardmon's soft narrative turned into a bitter laugh as he added for Teiru's clarification "Let me translate for you. That's Viralian for: "give us your son or we will take him anyway and also burn your house down." At any rate I suddenly found myself going from one ordinary child of many in an overcrowded Datan hovel, to one scared 'volunteer' Datan in an overcrowded Viralian barrack. _Not _a good thing."

"Why?"

"Take Dragon's attitude and compound it by a factor of ten or more. Datans have and probably always will be second-class citizens to Viralians. Let's just say that the low Viralian in the fledgling's totem pole was mighty glad to see me and that I learned the ins and outs of street fighting real fast."

Teiru swallowed noisily. "How old were you? You make it sound like you were practically just out of diapers."

He snorted, narrow shoulders shrugging as he answered, "Doesn't really matter. Fairly young, I suppose. I was tall enough for my feet to reach the necessary pedals and still be able to see out the gun site. That was what really counted to my new masters. They had lost so many Viralian pilots during the preceding years and needed fresh blood to swell their thinning ranks even if it wasn't _blue_ blood. I was a preliminary experiment to see if Datans could make it as jet jockeys as well as infantry soldiers and other low profiles generally known as tank gun fodder.

We-the Viralian in-trainings and I- were summarily evaluated and segmented by our various aptitudes. I was lucky to find myself in the top grouping: the best fliers got better food and supplies than the rest, you know?" -His fists tightened a little as he recalled the memories-"Though there were a few scuffles before I could assert my right to partake of that," Wizard chuckled humorlessly. "It wasn't long before I was given the rank of Captain and a spot in the prestigious Dark Forces Ace contingent. My… sponsor…gave me the moniker 'Skull' based on my number of 'kills' while rising to the fore." He paused as if weighing his next words. "My sponsor: squad commander, comrade-in-arms, master...a real piece of work as I'm sure you'd agree, is Captain Myotis 'Bloody Nightmare' Belial."

Teiru felt the air escape from her lungs. She forcibly dragged it back in to query: "Bloody" Belial is your commander?"

"_Was_ my commander!" From beneath the living barrier of his arms Wizard made a sound that was half snicker, half snarl and 100% rancor filled. "I told you before I'm no longer a living entity to the Viralians or their servants."

Taken aback by the degree of animosity in his voice, Teiru got up off the cot and walked over to the sealed door. She stared at the shiny metal for a few seconds, considering what he'd said. It seemed possible, but was it plausible? Was she just grasping at straws offered by a fanged viper because she had feelings for him?

"Say I wanted to believe that. Why would Belial or any other Viralian commander hire you if you really are one of the deleted, since if memory serves, any criminal who commits a treasonous crime but is spared actual death is marked 'deleted' and is shunned by the Viralians. Yet _you_ were openly working for him when I was captured. And if you hate him as much as I, why would you willingly continue to serve him?"

"_Spared_ actual death? Wizard gave a wicked chuckle, but the force of his initial rage had been expended; his anger abated by sheer weariness. "My dear Captain, deletion is only a _slower_, more tortuous way of administering the death penalty. Nobody wants to hire or feed or give medical attention or _anything_ to someone whom the Viralians have declared unfit lest they draw unhealthy attention to themselves. A bullet to the gut is swifter. A blow to the head kinder.

"Then _why?_"

"I thought you wanted this told as a narrative?" he chided her. "Be patient. I am getting there."

He took a breath and held it, releasing it slowly as he began again.

"Belial chose me as his right wing mon just minutes after my evaluation. Even made sure we both got two of the then prestigious new 'Delta' planes as our own. Together we wrecked havoc on many a Vaccyne base and village, earning a reputation as the best of the best: 'The Bloody Skull Team'. No one questioned my status when Belial was near. Nobody dared because to question it then was to disparage Bloody's own judgement lest they risk seeing a lot of their own blood seeping into the ground. In some ways, it was the best time of my life. I had the outward appearance of respect by my peers. I had a purpose to my life...as disgusting in retrospect as I know know it to have been. Plus, I could fly the fastest jets when I was with the team. Quite a feat for a lowly farm boy.

Then one day we were ordered to strafe a town where one of the top Vaccyne generals was reputed to be staying. I wasn't told more than that. It didn't really matter anyway because it was a prestigious assignment-one that would earn us both some well-deserved off time if we actually nailed the VIP himself. Belial ordered me to a diversionary maneuver on a hospital to attract enemy fire while he flew in from the other side to attack the place intelligence said our target was staying at. Never let it be said that Belial is not a glory hog: he wanted the kill. Anyway, I was doing pretty well and had managed to inflict some heavy damage to the place before the enemy's land troops even got mobilized. It was then _it_ happened. The event where Captain Mera committed suicide by default."

Frustrated, Teiru was about to ask what he meant by that after he fell silent for almost a full minute, but he shook his head.

"Intelligence was wrong. The general wasn't at the other side of town-he was at the hospital visiting the sick kids. Turns out it wasn't an ordinary hospital Belial sent me to-it was a _pediatric_ one. I know this because the officer came out of the smoldering building with a little boy wearing a breathing mask tucked securely in his arms. In the periphery of my vision, I could see personnel all carrying babies and young children no taller than my knee. Dust-coated, terrified children."

Wizard paused to scratch an ear in an abstracted manner.

"I had my fighter in quasi mode and landed before him. He was in my sights not five lengths from the muzzle of my gun: an obscenely easy target to hit at that range. All I had to do was pull the trigger, rejoin Belial, and go home to a nice pot of stew, a warm shower and slee… and furlough. Heck, I could have saved a bullet and used the Delta's arms to pulverize the Vaccyne and the kid with him."

"But you didn't?" Teiru hazarded. They both knew that it was a rhetorical question.

With a slow shake of his head, the former Captain lightly moaned, pressing his forehead even deeper into his crossed arms.

"_No._ No, I _didn't_. Oh, I was going to, Teiru. Granted I'd never actually shot someone unarmed and face to face like that before, but I was a soldier and that was my job: killing Vaccynes. However, that was the problem, you see? I had never actually shot anyone while looking them in the face. Hell-this guy and that child were the first of the enemy that I'd ever even seen in reality-all the 'Vaccynes' from training camp were just distorted caricatures made of cardboard. And now here were two-flesh and blood-scared out of their wits. And I couldn't take my eyes off of them: The general who was glaring at me with this defiant look despite the deathly pallor on his face; the child… The child was just staring at me wide-eyed and clutching this most gods-awful excuse for a battered teddy bear as if it was just as precious as anything in existence. Just a defenseless kid. It dawned on me then, the choice circumstance had handed me. I realized that I couldn't get the one without killing the other and somehow that fact blocked my mind from taking any move at all. It was as we three were just pigments in some sort of grotesque painting-posed forever in mutual inaction.

Of course it couldn't go on forever. It just seemed that way.

By this time Belial had demolished his own building and had come looking for me along with these two enemy fighters hot on his tail-presumably for me to pick off for him. When he saw who it was I had cornered, he told me to finish the job and help him destroy the Vaccys before going home.

I still couldn't move.

Belial managed to shoot down one fighter and evade the other long enough to swoop down and try to do what I had failed to accomplish, but by now the general and the child had been whisked away by others. Belial then told his stunned wingmon to get his sorry butt back into the air and away from enemy fire before he roasted it himself…or words to that effect. I looked at him from across our respective cockpits, indicated the _children's_ hospital with my fighter's arm, and… well, both language and gestures got pretty colorful there." Wizard almost laughed as he recalled the look on Belial's face when he'd told him off both verbally _as well as_ visually via the appendages on his Delta. "Let's just say that my commander was no happier with his subordinate than the subordinate was thrilled with his superior that day. Of course the subordinate was an idiot who had temporarily taken leave of his sanity."

"And that is why you were…"

Ange rubbed the bridge of her nose. Much more of this and she'd lose hold of what strands of objectivity she'd managed to hang on to. Her mental image of 'Evil Captain Mera' was disintegrating fast and that of 'Wizard' was solidifying back into place.

Damnit-no! She was not going to blow this assignment!

"I mean-why you _claim_ to have been branded a deleted?"

The Datan actually did laugh at that, guffawing into the coverall's sleeves while his sides shook.

"Aborting a mission without cause or reason, insubordination to a superior officer, putting a military possession-that would be me as well as my aircraft of the time-under unnecessary firepower? All because I was upset about hurting _children_-and ones that belonged to the enemy? Oh, Captain… Teiru-yes! Gods, yes! That was considered _pretty darn treasonous."_


	5. Wizard tells his story II

Wizard Tells His Story (continued)

Wizard's tone turned spiteful again after he'd caught his breath.

"Major Pied wanted to have me shot right away, but Belial (bless his little black coal for a heart)talked him into _just_ having me 'deleted'. I was too _useful_ he reasoned, to be destroyed out of hand."

Teiru wondered at his acerbic tone as he said 'useful', but kept quiet, letting him continue.

"Don't go thinking that or Pied had suddenly gone generous on my behalf. That nuemon-bred bastard Major had me sent to Dae's 'correction' facility while my old identity was supposedly being wiped clean from all but key personnel. To everyone who knew him, Captain Mera officially died that day.

After I was released, Belial came to find me. He pointed out what I had already discovered-_nobody_ wanted me around. Nobody, that is, save Belial. He offered me shelter, clothing, and promised employment so that I could make a little extra side money for other needs."

"You accepted?"

"What do you think? Yes, yes, _yes!_ What else _could_ I do? It was either accept or continue to starve. You might find this incredible, Captain Ange, but I do have a fondness for having a full belly. Do you have any idea how painful starving to death is? Yes, I took him on his offer. Belial then magnanimously _gave_ me Thunderball to fix up and a job as 'messenger boy'. As long as I kept myself available whenever he _wanted me_, I was even allowed to take commissions from Vaccyne civilians-providing I supplied a copy of the cargo list and destination to Major Pied.

Tei- Captain Ange, did you wonder why they never interrogated you while you were there? Well, I'll clear that up for you right now. It was feared that you might have been contaminated with a deadly and highly contagious disease going around the area and they didn't want to catch it. Major Pied decided I was the only 'expendable' with enough rudimentary medical skills who they could call on to watch for any fatal symptoms."

His audience of one shook her head. It all sounded plausible but… "Then why were there records still found in their systems if they were erased?"

"Aaah…" The blond nodded his head a little. "Now _there_ is the interesting question. Why indeed? I've been sitting here pondering that very thing. All I can think of was that either Major Pied or Captain Belial saved a file just in case I ever turned on them. A very shrewd move it was too. Worked damned well," he growled, freeing one finger to make a circular gesture at the surrounding walls of his prison.

For a long time the Datan was silent again until Teiru thought he might have fallen into slumber. She would have left him then, but there was something he had brought up that she knew the MP's would want more info on.

"Wizard?"

"So I'm allowed to be 'Wizard' again?" he grunted, face still hidden. "Sorry. What other tidbit is it you want to know?"

"Who is Dae and what did they do to you?"

The silence was almost painful.

"Wiz-"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Yes… I do." Damn, but that had come out more sympathetic sounding then she had intended. She was supposed to be mad at him, for gods' sake! "Besides, you brought the name up-not me. So who was he?"

"Fine. Demon Dae…" Wizard practically spat out the name, "that Hell's spawn that was plucked from beneath moldy rock is the head of the 'correctional' department. His job is to…" his fingers tightened their grip on his sleeves then spasmed "…show one the _error_ of his ways. A capacity at which he is very efficient."

Expression unnaturally stiff, Wizard raised his head and smoothed back the hair from his face, exposing his damaged lips to her eyes. "You asked before how I got these strange scars? Dae has a rather unique way of determining when you are allowed to leave his establishment-assuming you survive your stay in the first place. If you _do_ survive, you 'earn' his mark: the Mark of the Demon. Dae, you see, holds a rather twisted version of the philosophy that the punishment should fit the crime. In my case, my 'crime' was as much voicing dissent as anything else, so he had my mouth sewn shut with thin leather laces that had been soaked overnight… and waited for them to dry."

Pained green eyes squeezed shut as he grimaced.

'_Gods_', Teiru thought, feeling sick to her stomach, '_what kind of demented monsters were they fighting against that they would torture even their own?_'

"I didn't want to. I knew what he intended-mon held there couldn't help but know-but I did everything I could not to react just to show him how much I hated his guts." Wizard's eyes glistened with growing moisture. "And I didn't, Teiru. I withstood it even with the whip and the knife as additional incentives. It was the electrified wands that did it. I couldn't stop the scream." He felt along his mouth with the tip of his fingers, tracing the deep indentations that marked where the hardened leather had torn through softer, inflamed flesh all in one horrible instant.

"Dae… he knelt down and patted me on the head like a dog who'd finally understood a command. Just caressed my head and murmured soothing platitudes as I fainted at his feet while my blood ran from my mouth in a steady stream. It was then that I felt something die inside and I wished, wished, _wished_, it would spread and take the rest of me as well. 'You see, it dawned on me then that that was all I'd ever been to them: a dog. Faithful once but gone bad and needing discipline in order to re-earn praise, but it didn't really matter for no matter what I did-bad or good-I was still but this dog."

Teiru raised her hand to her own lips, eyes wide with horror. She turned her head away so as not to see the vivid remains of his torture until she could get the conjured image out of her mind.

Looking a little ashamed of himself as he saw her expression, Wizard let his hair fall back into place and bowed his head to once again hide his scarred mouth from view. "I'm sorry. It wasn't right to burden you with that kind of knowledge."

He ran a shaky hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "When I saw you…cared for you-touched a living Vaccyne for the first time-it was so unreal. You were supposed to be the enemy, yet it was like seeing that little boy all over again with his big, eyes. You tried to hide it, but I knew you were scared. Yet still you never took your fear out on me-at least, not after the first 24 hours," he chuckled, albeit weakly; and she blushed, also recalling all the uncomplimentary names she had thrown at him that night. "I realized that you were no more evil than my own people… the Datans. Suddenly, I didn't want to see you hurt and I knew that it was only a matter of time before they realized you were clean of pathogens and sent you to Dae's for questioning.

I hated that fact and I wondered… I thought that maybe if _you_ were not evil as I was taught? Maybe your people were like that too. Just _maybe_ they wouldn't mind a Deleted Nothing in their midst. Hell, they wouldn't even have to know I ever even had such a past if I kept that fact to myself. I'd never considered the possibility of switching sides before, you see, for the Datans were my people and the Viralians my masters and your kind my enemy. But the Datans no longer could recognize me and the Viralians I hated even if they would accept me back fully. What did I have to lose? So I made plans to get you away and myself as well. I guess… I guess I was starting to feel the effects of being ostracized and it was warping my judgment, but I really didn't think I had another option. Major Pied never hid his dislike of my presence and it would have been so easy for him to get rid of me despite Belial's wishes. Even those who still held names could disappear."

'Gods' Teiru thought to herself yet again. She'd thought growing up a military brat had been rough. "Why did you refuse my offers to join the Air Force?" Ange asked once she had composed herself. "If you hated the Viralians that much, there was your opportunity to get even."

Her prisoner sighed, rubbing his temple which had developed a slight ache. "I didn't want to '_get even_'. I simply wanted to _get lost_ within a different world that I had missed out on when that recruiter showed up at my parents' door. I wanted another taste of being 'insignificant' in a _normal_ way: Neither "infamous Captain Skull" nor "Belial's…" he faltered for a breath "hired pilot". I just wanted to be 'Wizard', that guy who can put one heck of a spin on an old Alpha Class." He reached to tug forlornly at an ear, eyes suspiciously bright as he went on. "But I soon realized that even Vaccynes had their 'evil' side- gossipers especially seem to be pandemic no matter where you are. When I didn't supply them with a ready-made background, they started spinning their own fears into stories-some uncomfortably close to the truth. But again, where could I go? Not back to the Viralians; not home. I had no home…" he raised his head to look into her eyes with frustrated longing. "…except for old Thunderball and you."

Teiru had to look away-this time hide the fact that she was close to tears and not as a sign of rejection.

"Can I ask you one more thing? In the hangar, why did you insist that 'Wizard' was really your name?

Instead of answering right away, he asked her a question instead.

"Did you ever have a secret nickname known only to a most beloved one?"

"No."

"It's tradition in some Datan clans," he explained.

"Sounds interesting," Ange said thickly, trying to get a rein on her emotions which now included jealousy in their ranks. "So who is this beloved of yours?"

"Wizard," William Mera smiled fondly at an inner vision, "was the secret nickname my stubborn-headed little sister gave me. And as you might now guess, 'Gato' was mine for her. It's the one thing of my family's love that I have been able to keep-that Pied and Belial couldn't take away. She was 'volunteered' soon after I was to be an assistant field nurse. I never did see her again and probably never will, but I will always remember the feisty light in her eyes."

Oh, _sludge._

Giving up on her fight anything remotely akin to composure, the VAF Captain called to the sergeant that she was finished for the day...and fled the building.


	6. Teiru's report

Teiru's Report

Surreptitiously wiping away tears, Teiru marched down the hall of the prison in a quick-stepping fury, blasted out the exit and stormed into the administrative office. Waiting for her there were Major Gennai Garder, 3rd Lt. Vee, Lt. Pata, and a female Datan from the Military Intelligence Psychology department.

Taking a small voice recorder from her pocket, Teiru handed it to the Major, resisting the urge to hurl the thing into one of the walls instead of placing it in his waiting hand. "It's all there, sir," she told him stiffly, "I'm afraid there's not much useful information regarding the Viralians' strength though." Then she turned and went to stand facing the door-away from the others.

Garder frowned at her behavior, handing the recorder in order to set it to 'rewind'.

"Don't worry, Captain Ange. I'm sure you never told him anything important he could have passed on." He nodded at the others. "Lieutenants, if you will step out for a moment, I'd like to talk with Captain Ange alone? Please stay, Lt. Palma."

Vee and Patty went outside and shut the door, exchanging looks as they did so.

No sooner had the lock clicked into place than their best pilot rounded on her superiors.

"You _**knew**_!"

Gennai nodded, "If you are referring to Captain Mera, yes, Teiru. I knew. Or to be more accurate, I had my suspicions. Not all of us are still as wet behind the ears as you. Some of us old codgers have been around awhile."

When she grimaced at his bit of humor and continued to glare at him, he tapped his pen's tip against his desktop and got down to business. "Basically, about thirty years ago-early into the war-we Vaccyne's managed to wallop the enemy pretty darn hard. In fact, we thought we had them well on the way to surrendering air supremacy to us, when this fighter team showed up and started decimating us in return. Intelligence had a hell of a time getting anything on what had happened. "Bloody Skull Team" our informant said. Well, we knew that Belial was their top flier and his code name was 'Bloody Nightmare', but who the hell was this 'Skull'? Our informant took his sweet time getting back to us, but when he did we thought at first he had changed the code we had agreed on. I mean, _a 14-year old Datan_ was helping Belial blast gaping holes in our defense? It was common knowledge that the Viralian's never stooped to using 'inferior' material for their pilots-only Viralians were trained for fighter planes. But the informant confirmed it: 'Bloody Nightmare' had chosen some hot shot kid named 'Skull' as his second and, yes, he was undeniably Datan."

Lt. Palma grunted, "For months, we sent airmon to try to gun them down, but they were too good. And then, only a couple of years after 'Bloody Skull' appeared, they vanished. Oh, Belial was still around, but his partner had changed back to a Viralian and we couldn't figure out why or what had become of the Datan. Even our informant was mystified. Records of 'Skull' disappeared like water vapor in the summer. We figured he'd either been killed by chance fire or died of illness. At any rate, my superiors weren't saddened at the loss. It wasn't until Lt. Tento brought us a copy of the research that Vee had requested that we learned that 'Skull' was in reality one William Mera-and that he had been living right under our noses for the past year as your stunt pilot friend."

Teiru found herself smirking rather darkly at the womon. "I bet _**that**_ was a real 'Sacred Sludge!' kind of moment for MI."

"Certain personnel are experiencing ringing in the ears and promotional worries, yes." Lt. Palma admitted rather ruefully. I imagine it was the same thing for you?"

Grunting a reluctant 'yeah', Ange turned to the Major and asked, "If you were suspicious of Wizard, why didn't you arrest him before?"

Gennai sighed heavily. "As I said, I only had my suspicions. There was no proof that he was anything other than what he said he was. A background check uncovered nothing, and various surveillance officers assigned to watch him confessed that they wished their own kids were as clean. He didn't drink, carouse, or try snooping around off limit areas. In fact," Garder chuckled, "the only bad thing he ever did was his nightly sneaking back into Hawk's compound to be with that ancient relic of his. Considering that the old windbag, was charging him near double rent than he was his Vaccyne customers, I didn't feel inclined to begrudge him his fun-especially since the only harm he seemed to be accomplishing was depriving my best pilot of some extra cash at the local diner."

Teiru fought down a blush.

"By the way," Palma put in, "MI gives you our thanks for keeping him occupied during those meal times so that we could do regular checks of his possessions and the hangar."

"Glad to have helped. It seems MI needs all it can get," Teiru sniped back. They glared at each other.

"All right-that's enough! Would you two quit the rivalry?" Gennai barked out at the pair of womon.

The two officers froze at attention. "Sir, yes, sir!"

"Bad enough we have the one war waging outside, we don't need one in my office," the grumbling base commander reminded them. "Now, Ange, I had your word for it that you told him nothing about our activities nor did he ever ask. The upshot of it is that we simply had no evidence with which to pursue the matter." He indicated the door. "Please call your mon back in."

After Teiru let Vee and Pata back into the office, the Major spoke to younger pilots about why they had been summoned as well.

"I wanted you two here because you, Vee, were he one who started this whole ball rolling, and you, Pata, were assigned to watch over your team mate and sister-duties that you carried out very well. You've both to be commended."

Ange hissed and glanced icily at her brother, who gulped nervously under her scrutiny. "He did _what_?"

"Before you claw into him, Captain," Gennai chuckled, "I'm the one who ordered Pata to spy on you for _your_ safety, _not_ because I thought you untrustworthy. All of your mon were concerned about your well being, Captain. You should be proud of having such a loyal team."

"I know it," Teiru admitted, still a bit ruffled that Pata would have spied on her like that even for a good reason.

"Then you won't mind if they hear what is on this tape as well as Lt. Palma and I?"

Teiru crinkled her nose. "It's Wizard's confession not mine. You should be asking him if he wants his privacy invaded further."

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Garder passed the small recording machine that Teiru had given him over the MIP. "Now, Lt. Palma, let's see what you and the rest of us can make of what's on that."

The medi/tactical officer nodded and switched on the device so that they could all hear Captains Ange and Mera's conversation. Teiru shut her eyes and tried not to listen to his tale of horror-the once had been enough-not to mention what Wizard would think of her if he found out he'd just spilled his guts to not only her and the base V.I.P.s, but to Dragon and Patty as well.

When the tape ended, Lt. Palma clicked it off, a frown creasing her delicate features.

"Well?" Garder asked-not impatiently. "Was he telling the truth or not?"

"On the surface, yes, I believe so. And his story matches what we know of Viralian impressment practices amongst the Datans under them. As for this 'Dae', we've heard vague reports that such a person exists." She clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "However, he is still hiding something from her. There were several instances where his voice inflections altered significantly when referring to Captain Belial.

"Probably because that's still his commanding officer despite what he says in that thing," Vee huffed.

Garder held up his hand, demanding quiet from all but the MIP.

"Meaning?"

"I detected fear and a sense of betrayal, Major."

"Gee-ya think?" Teiru said sarcastically. Sure, she was mad at Wizard for not trusting her with who he really was from the start, but she hated having to tape his confession without his knowledge. And now this group deciphering of it felt obscene: it was nothing less than a rape of his privacy. This was especially distasteful now when she was convinced that what he'd told her in confidence was the truth.

Lt. Palma tapped the little recorder. "I don't mean the fear of a subordinate of his commander's displeasure or that same sense of betrayal when trust is broken between coworkers, Captain Ange. It is very likely that Captain Mera had a much closer relationship with Belial than that of mere comrades in arms."

"Oh, sludge…!" Teiru breathed, understanding the other womon's meaning right away and wishing she didn't.

Vee growled low in his throat. "You mean they were 'comrades in arms' in more than the 'traditional' sense, I take it?" Such relationships were frowned upon by Vaccyne society. "No wonder the guy decided to keep that information to himself. He's not only a murderer- he's a bloody pervert!"

Lt. Palma scowled at the airmon. "Thank you for your opinion, Lieutenant; however, I don't believe Mera was the one who initiated that part of their… collaboration. Datans under the Viralians are only tolerated for their-as he put it here-'usefulness' and blonde hair and colored eyes have always been a favorite combination of Viralians." She smirked humorously. "It wasn't hard to come up with a hypothesis on what he was leaving out: Belial was _using_ him in more ways than one and Mera didn't like it but had no real say in the matter. Do you always jump to hasty conclusions, Dragon?"

"At least I don't forget to relay vital troop information to my wing leader before she goes out on a mission." Vee swiped back. He looked thoughtfully into space as he considered what she'd said. "So that's why Belial had him classified as a 'deleted' and not killed: he didn't want to lose his…" Vee trailed off when he saw Teiru making 'cut it' gestures and drawing his attention to her brother.

Pata was looking a little green.

'Poor kid,'-Vee sympathized. Pata was a bit young yet to be subjugated to such revelations about the seamier side of life. Damned Viralians and damned war that made growing up fast such a necessity.

"Well, that explains why he preferred to sleep in Thunderball or the floor rather than in the cot I got for him," Teiru murmured to herself before looking up to face them all: the mon associated a real bed with sexual abuse rather than sleep. Poor Wizard! All those terrible experiences bottled up inside for years because there was no one who'd have any sympathy for him. "So, Major, what happens now? If you send him to a Viralian P.O.W. camp, he'll likely die at their hands-no Captain Belial around to assure a Datan 'deleted' wasn't hurt. They'd eat him alive."

"You're not seriously thinking that we should just let him go?" Vee asked her.

She looked defiantly back. "Why not, Vee? He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Nothing _wrong?_ He's an enemy pilot! Hell, he's more than that-he's an _ace_ enemy pilot whose destroyed-"

"_Was_ an enemy pilot, Dragon." Teiru interrupted his tirade. "You can't condemn him for doing what he had to do to survive in that hell hole. Even Palma is giving him _that_."

Silently standing and watching the whole argument, the psychologist raised an eyebrow in muted humor. "Nice to know I'm not considered a total cactus thorn."

"Now who's using hasty judgment," Vee smirked nastily at her.

Having heard enough of this bickering, Major Garder rapped his pencil jar against his desk, startling his two best airmon and the MIP into silence; waving the pale-looking Lt. Pata to go ahead and sit in one of the chairs before he fainted or something. (Youngster was a wonder in combat situations, but these 'domestic battles' were ones he had trouble dealing with.) "People, can we return to constructive conversation? I tend to agree with Captain Ange in that he no longer means harm to us." He glanced at Lt Palma who nodded her agreement. "However, he's far too valuable an asset to let loose."

"He said he doesn't want to fight," Teiru reminded him. "He's obviously sick of killing."

Palma snorted. "Desire it or not, your friend may not have a choice there, Captain. Changing your name and morals doesn't change everything. As much as I'd like to believe that our security is air tight, I know better. How long before the Viralians realize that one of their former ace pilots-who was trained in and knows all about their top flying units' fighting maneuvers-has been arrested, yet neither incarcerated in a camp nor executed?"

Teiru's eyes went wide. "They'll probably send an assassin if they know he's alive. And I'm the one who blew his alias! Oh…_gods. _I've as much as thrown a flare up to show them his location!"

Vee looked chagrined. "Actually, Teiru-that was my doing, remember?"

"It doesn't matter," Garder informed them. "What matters is that Mr. Mera is a commodity that we daren't let out of our sight. I'm sure that under the circumstances, you, Teiru, will be able to convince him to officially join our cause?"

"Wizard doesn't like to be pushed into anything, sir."

"Then try using a carrot instead."

"Sir?" Teiru blinked at him in confusion.

"Do you know how long the MIP's had been grilling him without getting so much as a grunt before I told them to stop and sent for you? I may be old, but I'm not blind, Captain. That was one heck of a…maneuver you planted on him back at the diner," the Major chuckled, pulling out the cleaned-up friendship ring from his desk drawer and holding it up by the chain. "And I believe he gave this particular item to someone in this room." Gennai admired the glittery little trinket. "Nice piece. Not the kind of something a mon gives to a womon on a whim." He looked hard into Teiru's eyes. "I didn't send you in there, Captain, for no reason, you know. Mera likes you-a lot." He tapped the ring, making it spin on its chain. "In fact, I'd say he likes you a trifle more than a lot. If anyone can sway him over, I believe it is Captain Teiru Ange, who in one William Mera's eyes was worth giving a valuable antique to."

_Valuable antique?_ Teiru blinked, eyeing the twirling ring.

Gardner's mouth twisted into a smile. "Unless you'd object to having him on your squad?"

Tearing her eyes away from Wizard's gift, Teiru blushed, wishing she'd been more discreet. Likely the base grapevine had spread the story of her glomping the Data all over the town by now! She took the jewelry and placed it back over her neck, tucking it under her shirt. "No objections, sir."

"Now, wait a minute!" Vee exploded. "He's still… I mean…" Seeing Teiru's pleading look he sputtered into silence, casting pleading eyes heavenward. "Oh, _okay_… I guess I owe the guy a bit of fuel line. But if he so much as hums a bar of the Viralian anthem I'm going to ventilate his flight suit!"

"Thanks, Dragon." Teiru said, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek before addressing her superior. "Permission, Major, to go on a scouting mission?"

"Permission granted." Major Garder smiled in approval. "Oh, and Captain Ange? Good hunting."


	7. Teiru attempts to enlist her friend

Teiru Attempts To Enlist Her Friend

Wizard himself, however, was not so easily convinced that joining the side of Light was the best plan for his future.

"I told you I don't want to be military anymore," he protested, one-arm tossing back the VAF uniform she'd dropped into his lap.

"You'd rather be a sitting duck for whatever assassin Major Pied sends over?" Teiru chided him. "I think you already know that old Hawk's security dogs aren't all that terrific at keeping out night-time trespassers from the airport hangars." She threw the soft-gray uniform back at him.

He let it hit his chest to fall unchecked onto the cell floor, scowling back at her in irritation. "He never said I couldn't sleep there after hours."

"Hawk never said you could-or sweet-meat talk your way with his dogs either. But that's not the _point_, Wizard, and you know it. You're in danger if you go back out there."

Her friend raised an eyebrow at her comment. Of course he was in danger. He'd been in danger from one thing or another since the womb. As had she with the same said for everyone unfortunate to be living in a nearly planet-wide war zone. "Do you honestly think I would be safer flying through Viralian fire as part of my daily routine?" Wizard snorted at the ridiculousness of her statement. "The whole idea is daft, Teiru. I don't exactly fit in with anyone's idea of a perfect soldier. I can't shoot someone face to face; I'm not exactly sure I could even bring myself to drop a missile anymore without wondering if there's some innocent down there I'm not aware of. Pied was right to pull me out of a fighter." He looked down and to the side, not meeting her gaze. "I no longer possess the hardness of heart-the mindset- to kill. Period."

And to think that when they'd first met she'd hardly been able to pull two full sentences from him, Teiru thought to herself. At least he hadn't resorted to his last-ditch strategy of ignoring her altogether until she went away. That meant that behind the stubbornness, the Datan was actually giving her words _some_ consideration. At least, she hoped so. Maybe he just needed a little extra push?

"You make it sound like not wanting to kill is a bad thing."

He sullenly refused to look at her. "That's not what I meant."

"Scared?" Teiru asked with feigned amusement.

Both of his eyebrows rose.

"_Hell yes!" _Wizard banged an arm against the wall of his cell for emphasis, making Teiru flinch. "You seem to have forgotten that I'm slightly out of practice with dodging bullets and air-to-ground missiles. _**Not**_ to mention that I've never set foot inside a modern Delta fighter let alone a Gamma!

Well, _that_ had certainly pushed a button! _Keep him moving, Teiru-don't let him slip back now._

"You know, I'd always pegged you more the falcon than the tortoise type. However, if you want a lumbering old Beta with a hide thick enough to keep its occupant from having to dodge at least the bullets, I'll get you one," Teiru offered with a slightly sarcastic edge to her voice. "But I really think you'd prefer a Gamma better if you want to try to keep up with me and my mon."

Squinting his eyes, Wizard speared her with dark green eyes as his muscles tensed. He licked dry lips. "_Try_ to keep up with… you?"

_Yes! C'mon good old male machismo!_ Ange could have cheered to see the spark of 'I don't think so!' in his eyes.

"Oh yeah…" she drawled. "Dragon thinks all you know how to do is make spin circles and suicide dives. In a flat out Gamma race, he boasts you'd be eating his ion vapors."

Looking away again, the Datan sighed, his frame slumping. "Maybe I would be. High speeding is a game for the self assured."

'_Sludge! So much for the male ego_,' Teiru inwardly groaned at having lost the round.

Maybe that 'something that had died' within William Mera was beyond her rekindling? Yet he _could_ fly and damned well. Dragon might publicly revile Thunderball as an 'animated pile of recycled scrap', but truth be told it took as much to handle one as a modern fighter which had a lot more computerized hydraulics and automatics to make things easier for the operator. Vee knew it as much as she: Gammas only _looked_ more complicated to fly.

_Okay, Wizard, I'm not giving up that easily. It's time for round two._

Using one finger, Teiru brought out the friendship ring so that he could see she was wearing it again. "Not to change the subject, but where did you get this? Major Garder called it an antique."

Wizard bent his head slightly as he shifted position to consider the golden ring twirling by its slender attachment. "It belonged to my great-grandmother, given to her by her husband. She in turn gave it to my grandfather who gave it to my mother, who gave it to me."

"She entrusted such a thing to her young boy and didn't save it for her daughter?" Ange didn't have to feign the surprise in her voice. There was a story behind this!

"I didn't say that," Wizard murmured sadly. "It was supposed to go to little Gato when she married, but when the Viralians came for her as well…" He reached up and lightly touched the ring's side. "After being dismissed by Dae, one of the places I went to was my parents' home. As I said before, nobody would have anything to do with me and father wouldn't even let me enter the house. But after spending the night in the cold on their front doorstep I woke with mother's ring pressed into my hand. She had no other child to give it to and I guess she figured that even a Deleted's hand was a better resting place for it than an empty hope chest. At times-before Belial showed up-I thought that I should use it to bargain for food, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was hers and she had entrusted it to me-though the gods know why." He shifted back to his former position against the wall, arms over knees and hiding his mouth. "After Belial came, I resorted to concealing its value by coating it with a cheap metallic paint so that Myotis would think it but a worthless trinket and not bother confiscating it. When I decided to give it to you, I saved up in order to purchase the necklace and to have the ring engraved with your name."

Good grief!

Clasping the ring in her hand, Ange now realized what Gennai had meant. She'd first thought that it was merely old, maybe by two generations; now she knew that it was a rare _antique_ indeed: probably one of the first ones made several centuries ago when the practice had started. "Your mother must have thought very highly of her son and his integrity to have entrusted him with this," she said in awe.

"I guess so." Disconsolate, Wizard tugged a bit on the forelock that liked to fall between his eyes. "I miss her and father and Gato."

"More, she must have sensed that her son had a better future than was readily apparent," Teiru added-and immediately sensed the truth of her words. Womon tended to want to see things of immense personal value go to the family member who had the brightest future-to keep the artifact safe. If Wizard's mother had truly thought her son's life was near an end, she would have given it to another relative or even buried it in a family grave.

A scrap of poem came to memory:

"_And now to me this ring you've given,_

_A symbol of ties unbroken; unshriven._

_This piece of hope so gifted to me._

'_Twined with such responsibility."_

"Eh?" The green eyes looked up at her in bewilderment. "What responsibility would that be?"

_To keep the child of Mrs. Mera from sliding back into depression. To make sure he chose Life over Death._

Those were the thoughts that came to Captain Ange, but she kept them to herself. Instead she said: "To make sure the silly mon she birthed lives up to his fancy-flying potential even if it means having to whoop his ass a few times in training maneuvers to get his attention." She leaned over him as she spoke the last, looking for the entire world like a drill sergeant evaluating a less-than-stellarly-dressed recruit.

Wizard just gaped at her, forgetting to cover his mouth as he looked up into her cerulean-hued eyes. She used the unguarded moment to snuggle into his open lap and kiss the open facial area, licking even the deadened scars as she gently introduced her tongue into his mouth. It seemed impossible for his eyes to get any wider, but he managed it.

"Teiru?" he gasped out as she let him breathe again.

"Too fast?" She'd purposely tried to go in slow so as not to reawaken any unpleasant connections he might take between her desire and Belial's 'using'; but it was a harder assignment than she'd thought it would be.

Damn, but the mon was irresistibly cute looking when he was befuddled!

He shook his head, pushing her back a bit; hesitant. "No. It isn't that… exactly."

"Don't you want to have me as a wing leader?" she asked between mock takeover attempts at his 'territory'.

He groaned as her fingers traveled through his hair and traced the lines of his ears, finally grabbing her by the arms to stop the mischievous hands. "I think I might be safer taking my chances with whatever old Pied throws at me," Wizard gasped out, smiling so she'd know he was joking. "Teiru… You really are serious about my flying with you?"

She looked him straight in the eye, playfulness temporarily on hold in order to reassure him. "Deadly serious, my wizard mon. On a mission my first thought is always getting everyone back in one piece. Who better to have by me than someone who knows the enemy's territory and warfare practices like the back of his hand?"

He looked a bit dubious, but there was a returning twinkle in his eye that was undeniable.

"This might be a bad time to admit it, but I've been wearing gloves for years-Gato."

"Very funny," She snickered. Although… Come to think of it, she never had seen him 'bare' handed. "Years, huh?"

"Yup. Even the gorillas you call security guards gave me another pair since they seemed convinced I might be keeping a fold-out bazooka or something equally nefarious in the lining." He held up a gloved hands for her inspection. They were at least two sizes too large. "A trifle big, but serviceable. At any rate, I fear the meaning of your analogy is not what you intended."

Teiru grasped the offered appendage and gave it a light squeeze. "Then its high time you learned what the back of your hand looked like. Why are you wearing these anyway?"

"Because."

"That's not a reason."

"Let's just say that my hands are not my favorite feature and that I am imagining Thunderball in that corner by the door needing my undivided attention if you don't drop the subject."

Teiru looked at the plain walls. "That's quite an imagination," she told him.

He smirked. "I've had practice. Drop the subject."

"Okay, okay! Here." She let go of his hand in order to tap his prisoner's coverall. "Now if Mr. Grouch is calmed down, are you going to change into that uniform all by yourself before it gets a load of non-regulation wrinkles, or are you going to require assistance? I'm giving you five seconds to decide."

He cast his eyes downward, all humor gone again.

Sludge, but the mon's temperament was as changeable as… hers. No doubt about it, she was certainly going to have a rival for her place as '_the moodiest person in Serval and Nodestar combined_'.

"Teiru… All kidding aside… there's something you should know. Something I haven't told you."

She could feel a slight tremor start in the Datan's limbs as he sat there trying to form the sentences necessary to unburden himself. Ange had the urge to cry, for it was costing him so much just to work up the courage to tell her he'd been abused and thanks to Palma she already knew about it! "Ssshhh…" she hushed him with a finger as he still couldn't get an intelligible word out. "I know you did terrible things: acts committed because you felt you had no choice. But this is not then. You have a choice now, William."

His eyes were dark with anguish, the tremble getting stronger as his voice burst out: "B-But I did have a choice! I could have said no. I'm filth, Teiru! They wished me a dog and I became one for them! I could have said no two times and I didn't." He held up his hands. "These have… I don't…if I touch something…" His words hitched back into his throat from which only a whimper made it back out; his eyes glazing over.


	8. Wizard makes his decision Myotis & Pied

Wizard Makes His Decision; Myotis & Pied

How did you help someone so deeply traumatized? Teiru wondered. She didn't really know, but she had to try _something_ to snap him out of it. Perhaps if she acted with authority, that would give him a base to stand on? Teiru grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed down on them as he struggled blindly against something nebulous, willing his eyes to focus on her; the harsh tone meant more to mask her own fear for him than because she was angry.

"No, Wizard-_William_, listen to me! You are not unclean! That's a lie-whether to me or yourself I don't know, but it's a _lie._ You had the option of going peacefully or being dragged-those was the only choices you were given. You chose to avoid extra pain and there's not a mon on this world who can blame you for it."

He spasmodically shook his head from side to side. "No! You don't understand! You don't understand!" William gasped. "I'm… I'm not talking-talking… 'bout joining…Viralian military!"

His heart was beating so fast! Yet she knew that she had to make him realize his fears were unfounded or he'd always be haunted by them.

She pressed down harder on his shoulders until he stopped the wild movements and she had him centered on her again. "I know." She took hold of his right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Wizard's confusion shone in his eyes as they went from his hand to her face. "Y-you _do?_"

"Yes. And it's okay."

"H-How do you know, Teiru? I've never s-spoken of… of it to anyone. Only Belial knows..."

"I… figured it out." She caressed his sweaty forehead, hoping the gentle action would calm him. No way was she going to tell the traumatized mon _how _she'd figured it out; he'd hate her guts if he knew. "Am I hurting your hand?" She asked when he kept returning his eyes in that direction.

"No. But, Teiru- You shouldn't be touching them. They carry Death," he whispered back.

"Really? I find it rather warm and nice." Seeing he still looked anxious about it; his eyes still glassy-was he going in shock? -, she let his hand go and it was immediately snatched back.

…..

"_Skull…?"_

_No! Not tonight. He couldn't go on a mission tonight- he was needed here. Right here!_

"_Skull- Answer me this instant!"_

"_Yes, Master Belial?"_

"_Ah there you are, little Mera. I'd wondered where you'd run off to."_

"_I-I was right here, sir."_

"_You didn't answer. What do you have there?"_

"_It's just a sick bird, sir. I promise it won't be in the way. It just needs time to get well."_

"_And you wanted to help it I take it?"_

"_Y-yes, sir. When the animals got sick, Grandma would..."_

"_Give it to me. Hmm…" -crush- "Oh dear… It appears you've held it too long. It's not sick; little Mera, it's dead."_

"_Heh?"_

"_You touched it. You're a killer now- not a healer, Skull, didn't you realize that? Your aura is deadly. Diseased. Special. A carrier of Death. Anything you touch with those hands will sooner or later die. Except for another killer, of course. For instance, you and I can touch fine. In fact, come here, boy and I'll show you what I mean..."_

…..

"They kill things." Wizard muttered, nervously making sure the leather fully covered the hand before relaxing.

"Only if you want them to."

"No." He gave a quick, negatory shake of his head. "They bring death to anything that isn't of darkness; a killer. I don't want you to die, Teiru."

She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up from her throat. "You're joking? In case you haven't noticed, Wizard, Lightning Claw carries more armaments of death than Thunderball does. I'm a killer-."

"Don't say that!" he exclaimed. "You do things to defend others. You haven't been programmed to kill for the enjoyment alone." Staring at the over-sized gloves he'd borrowed, Wizard continued: "I was. I… Teiru, my bio aura is defiled-poisoned. Darkness destroys the Light it touches." It was the motto of the Viralian special forces; hell, it was a mark of what set those of the special forces apart from the rest: Darkness _Devours_ Light.

He was serious? "Nonsense," Teiru flatly told him. "That's just some superstition that was fed you. Even a Viral can't kill just through skin contact."

Looking away, the Datan only grumbled, "I know what I know; saw what I saw."

Well, sludge! This was beyond her. He needed a camp psychologist or some counseling to help him get rid of all this junk he'd been fed by his masters. Yet if she asked Gardner to get him just that, Wizard might just be consigned as too much trouble to deal with after all. Would they send him to prison?

"I really want you to stay, Wizard. But…well, if you don't want to join the VAF, I'll get you out of here and you can go wherever you feel safest running to."

He licked his dry lips with an equally dry tongue. "Your brass said this?"

Ange gave him a lopsided grin. "The brass be damned."

"Teiru!" The jade eyes looked shocked, horrified… and maybe a little bit pleased? "You'd risk busting me out-ruining your career-for me? Knowing what you know?" He frowned. "I won't let you."

"It's not like it hasn't been done before," she smiled. "I seem to recall an incident just last year…"

"I had no career or life or even body left to further sully," Mera sighed, "You have everything. Don't throw it away for me."

"Erf!" She socked him in the arm. "Everything but a silly Datan who has yet to put on that uniform even if only long enough to get out of this claustrophobic building! You really can be the most exasperating mon!"

"I... I don't know what…"

She snuggled closer to him in order to wrap her arms around his torso, making sure first to pull the blanket from the cot over them both. "Sorry. But you're neither filthy nor a dog, Wizard. And I think this 'poisoned hands' thing is just a bunch of hogwash Belial fed you. How about we just lay here together until you let that sink in and make up your mind about what you _want_ to do? No pressure. Take your time."

~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~

Gradually, as the minutes passed with her cuddled against him, Wizard felt his heart beat slide into the 'normal' range. Within the hour he was enjoying the shared body warmth not to mention the feel of her soft hair lying against his ear and cheek.

She was so innocent and he'd meant to protect her from the consuming darkness inside him. Well, that resolve had suffered a rather spectacular demise, hadn't it? He'd spilled his mental guts like a first timer in the Spinner! But then, she'd found out his shame on her own and it was only fair that he should have warned her of the danger of intimate contact with him. Hell, he should have done so when she'd kissed him at the diner. That had caught him by surprise that had! But it had felt so good and so _normal_ to pretend that they _could_ have a real relationship.

Heh. Skull courting a Vaccyne womon. How Myotis would laugh! Or maybe not. His former leader was renowned for possessiveness and demanding his own way. Skull belonged to Bloody Belial mind, body, and soul.

_But you aren't Skull anymore. Just Wizard. Wizard who is living surrounded by Light. Could Light consume Darkness if there was enough of it to cover the Dark? Or did it merely cover, unable to actually digest Darkness?_

_One thing was for certain...it felt good to be covered by Light...particularly Teiru's._

Wizard felt himself flush and hoped that Teiru didn't notice.

The one-time VDF pilot was embarrassed for having spazzed out in front of her like he had-he thought he'd put all that stuff Belial had made him do behind him and locked it up with a deadbolt, but here it had come like a flood against his hard-won control; washing it away with its power as if it had been a mere Popsicle stick stuck in the sand.

Made him do.

Viral had made him become Skull. Twisted an innocent Datan soul so that it could be tolerable to the surrounding Virals.

Teiru, Wizard had to admit, was right on one thing: He hadn't really had a choice either as a new pilot or a disgraced one. The offers had only been worded as such whereas both participants knew that Belial had turned those six letters into a mockery: Do you prefer your humiliation with binds and a beating-or not? Funny thing was, it had eventually degenerated to his receiving the second and third things anyway as Myotis had decided to 'explore his Datan creativity'.

Yeah-_real funny_. Funny to the point where just the feel of a real mattress under him made him break out in a sweat.

_Darkness came in degrees like twilight advancing towards night. Darkness didn't only consume Light. Darkness **consumed**._

Mera lay thinking for awhile longer until he was almost sure she must have fallen asleep against him. He slowly craned his neck to look. Yes… she was asleep. And that was just so amazing a thing: that she would _want_ to lie against him like this despite his warning. Of course, she thought he was just being dense. What was it like to grow up believing that evil could not immutably corrupt goodness? That Light was stronger than Dark...even the darkest Void where Death ruled? A fantasy that; but a darn nice one to hold to. Her erroneous belief in his enduring scraps of goodness made her all the more precious to him.

Too amazing; too precious to give up?

He let her sleep for several more hours, content to be her mattress until the wristwatch she wore told him it was time they got up before the guard came and saw them like this. A smile crossed his lips.

_No pressure; take your time_, indeed? Proof that Teiru really was naive in some ways.

Tenderly, Wizard sought to rouse her from her nap by caressing her upturned cheek with his leather encased finger, wondering what it would feel like to touch her soft fur with his own bare skin.

_An impossibility; an unreachable fantasy._

It was bad enough she'd touched him for as long as she had with those kisses. Belial had never really specified that more than his hands were deadly, but he didn't want to risk her health. And how much time was 'too long' before the poison the Virals had mated to his essence snuffed out yet another life? He'd just have to make sure he kept adequate barriers between them.

"Teiru?" Wizard verbally prodded after she remained asleep, "It's morning and I've made up my mind."

"Hmm…?" Ange sighed drowsily. "Is this decision of yours going to make me give up a really nice pillow?"

He chuckled, moving his hand from her cheek in order to brush some of his hair from her face. "I nicknamed you better than I thought- you're as hard to awaken as any gato-Gato."

"If you're going to be insulting,"-she paused to let out a yawn that revealed sharp, white teeth-"you could wait until I'm fully awake so I can aim my retaliatory punch better."

"My, my… So violent you Vaccys are in the wee hours," he snorted. "I'd never have guessed it."

"Just wait until you try coming between me and my morning cup of java," Ange sleepily grumbled, "then you'll see 'violent'."

"I'll try to remember that when Big, Tall, and Humor Impaired comes to deliver my breakfast. Which should be very soon now and you are at this moment literally sleeping with the enemy. Not the best of career moves, Captain."

"Leo has the day off. So lay off, enemy, and let me snooze for another fifteen? Centaur won't be here for half an hour yet-he's always chronically late."

"Ah." Wizard mirthfully intoned, thinking about how cute she looked when she was only half awake. "And what if he comes early _this_ morning? To save what is left of my shredded masculinity, I might have to invent uncomplimentary stories of why you are on top of me while looking rather disheveled. Besides, discovering how fast the Vaccyne rumor mill moves in comparison to the Virals' might be useful info for that secret spy report I'm writing for Major Pied."

One brilliantly blue eye opened to bestow on him a baleful look. He waggled an eyebrow in return. "I take it back," she growled. "You _are_ evil."

But she did get off of him.

"Teiru, about your previous offer…?"—Wizard coughed-"Um… Assistance may be necessary, I think."

"Well that's to be…"

Her eyes shot open as her drowsy brain remembered what the 'previous offer' was. Now wide awake, she lifted her head enough to seek confirmation in his eyes.

He was looking slightly chagrined as he held up the tunic half of the VAF uniform; Wizard tentatively fingered the silvery assortment of, zippers, snaps and straps. "I'll put it on, but like I said, I'm a bit out of practice with everything military."

He was going to enlist?

"Remedial Boot Camp for you then, William…" Teiru grinned before she hugged him. "First class, Mr. Mera, is Deciphering The Uniform 101."

"Its 'Wizard'," he said firmly, but smiled as he did, allowing her to help him figure out the complicated attire after modestly demanding she look away while he'd stripped off the prisoners' garb and shrugged on the VAF's.

She quickly saw why he'd asked for help and that his request for 'assistance' had not been all in jest-filled play.

"You'd find getting everything fastened properly a lot easier if you removed those gloves," she observed. "The fingertips are too bulky."

"Likely true." He grimaced as he kept on struggling with the crossover flap's fastener.

She placed her hands over his.

"Are they disfigured too? Is that the real reason why you keep them hidden?"

His eyes refused to meet hers as he whispered, "No."

"So take them off."

"Gato!" Wizard cried in exasperation as the throat flap fell open yet again. "I'll get a better fitting pair after I'm out of here; but please, just help me this once so that I don't meet your Major looking like a complete idiot?"

"Okay." Ange said quietly, "But if you'd paid attention,"-her finger tapped her own unfastened collar-"that flap can stay open. Everyone found themselves fighting for air when the darn things were closed up, so the brass just had the dress code changed instead of demanding that those demented designers fix them."

"Oh." He reddened with mortification. "Of course. I've only seen them that way for the past year. Guess I am an idiot no matter how I'm dressed."

She smiled and patted him on the chest, making sure everything appeared proper. "Relax, you're just nervous. Garder is going to be thrilled to see you in this. I know I am-you look very distinguished." She laughed. "Except for those gloves! Whose did you borrow, anyway- Leo's?"

"I wasn't in a position to be picky. And please don't tell me to take them off. And I need my scarf too."

"Wiz—"

"Woolen scarf or my own hair, Captain Ange," Wizard solemnly told her, referring to the ponytail he'd just half pulled around to cover his mouth as if it was a veil. "I'm not going anywhere otherwise."

"Vanity, thy name is…"

His green eyes bored into hers.

"All right, all right," she giggled. "How about we see about getting your scarf back from the gaoler and then hopping over to stores for a nice pair of color-coordinating flight gloves before going to see the Major? I think he's going to have enough of a shock seeing that scarf of yours without your greeting him wearing Leo's 'oven mitts' too."

"Thanks, Teiru, I owe you for this."

"Let's just say we're even now." Teiru sighed, not looking forward to the coming confrontation.

Dragon was _not_ going to be happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~

Picking up an envelope lying on his desk, Major Pied sat down in his chair, broke the seal and looked at the small missive's title. What he read invoked a malicious chuckle that got his companion's attention right away.

"Well, well, well, Myotis," he said with mock pleasantness, "it looks like someone has dug up a skull."

Standing at attention on the other side of the desk, Captain Belial cocked his head.

"Taken an interest in old fossils, sir?" By long practice, he kept his tone_ just_ this side of insubordinate. There was no love lost between the two. There was no love, period. Special Forces had anything close to love ripped out of their psyches long ago or they wouldn't _be_ Special Forces.

Belial loathed Pied just as Pied loathed Belial, but each still had his uses to the other: Belial killed for the greater strength of the Viral Empire and Pied made sure that Belial had plenty of opportunities to kill.

Hell, they were practically a mated couple.

"Just this one particular specimen." Pied chuckled as he read the report. "It appears it took on new life while away from my collection. What a pity it seems that it is about to fall all to pieces if it hasn't already." He stared at one particular sentence and laughed outright. "A civilian entertainer? Oh, that is rich! I wonder if he'd been doing balloon animals for the kiddies?"

Intrigued, Belial took up the report. When his superior didn't object but only continued to chuckle rather nastily, he glanced at the title. Startled, he read it again more thoroughly and the rest as well, a growl taking life in his throat.

…...urgent...

_File 'Skull' downloaded by VAF. Stop_

_File Captain William Skull Mera accessed and downloaded by Serval Air Force Base officer Stop Trailed officer led to a recent arrival in host town Nodestar one civilian entertainer called Wizard Stop Description match confirmed Stop Awaiting orders Stop"_

"Mera is alive…"

"Unfortunate, but yes."

"You told me he was killed," Belial accused, eyes dark with anger. "That he and the Vaccyne were shot down before they reached the enemy's line!

"Did I? Major Pied absently used his letter opener-a miniature trump sword replica- to pick out two old key chains from his collection of them that he kept in a desk organizer. Each was a symbol for the top fliers who had served under him and the ones he chose now were of a scarlet and black bat and a black and white skull. Laying them on his desktop, he sent the sharp tip of the letter opener dancing along the outline of the teeth on the latter. "Well, it seems the thing is harder to nail down than a jittery cockroach in a coffin. I was merely being hopeful."

"And you left a file of his on record just in case he survived?" Belial snarled.

Pied nodded, looking pleased with himself. "Of course I did-as insurance, and I was right. It was re-uploaded after he took off with your dear Vaccyne prize. Humphf! Never did trust the fellow. I always argued that Datans are inherently too…" he searched for the right word "…_soft_ to hold such as your rank, my dear Nightmare, and Mera proved it." His eyes fixed on his best pilot. "Not that you cared to pay attention to my warnings. The only good thing to come out of the whole blasted experiment is that the Datan program was scrapped before it had a chance to really make a mess of things. In that if for nothing else I suppose I should thank Mera."

Belial grunted as he held aloft the paper. "Who's our contact in Nodestar? I want to go after him."

"Our contact?" Pied snickered, mockingly pretending to have misunderstood.

"_Mera."_

"Ah yes? Yes, I take it by the tint of revenge coloring your eye that you _are_ referring to your former underling and not my spy. But is it, Myotis, for denying you the one sweet or the other, I wonder?"

"Skull…" Myotis fumed, "was my responsibility. You should have informed me he'd survived."

"Too true, Captain-_your_ responsibility. And _you_ let him slip through _your_ fingers along with an enemy pilot," Pied snapped back. (This time the business end of the blade was made to swing around the skull before making a jab at its center, halting just before the rubbery plastic was harmed.) "Mera should have been destroyed right from the moment he froze-should never have made it past 3rd Ensign-yet you insisted you wanted him." The Major grimaced as he contemplated the black sockets that were engulfing the key chain's tiny red eyes. "I indulged you too much, my son. You could have chosen any number of lackeys for your games. Why you had to chose _that _creature is beyond me."

Belial harrumphed at his commander, also eying the monochrome key chain with more than a casual interest. "Unlike you, _I_ like to have the best at my back regardless of genetics. Bullets don't care about breeding one way or the other. He was the best of the pick; ergo, yes-I wanted him..._sir_. And I still do. He...intrigues me. Even if I can't trust him enough to let him fly alone without an Imprint shackle around his _stick shift_, I want Mera; therefore he's mine to take back." Belial requested with an 'I-dare-you-to-try-and-deny-me-this!' look.

"You mean as your bed dog if at all." Major Pied corrected. "As _intriguing_ as you found it, Bloody Skull is dead, Myotis. I wouldn't trust Mera to fly a paper airplane with a child's smoke bomb attached let alone one of our fighter planes," (the sword tip pierced the rubbery material through its white teeth) "but I'm sure that's not your prime concern anyway," he softly finished. "Not bad looking was he, though; even with Dae's Mark?"

Belial grinned wolfishly. "I think it added to his charm, actually." He leaned over the desk, one hand out, palm up and voice low. "I want him back… kept in chains and dirt-bound if that is the only way, but I want him, father."

"You always were blinded by your baser desires," the Viral Major sighed. "Very well, you have permission to fetch your pet back-providing the Vaccynes have left anything for you to fetch by this time. You know they have hardly any more tolerance for spies than we do." With a flip, he sent the marred skull keychain flying towards the pilot, who eagerly snatched it up in his hand. "Skull is yours-if you can get him. Pico is our contact."

"_Thank_ you," Belial sarcastically responded, pocketing the item.

"And Belial-?" Clow Pied added pleasantly before his son could exit.

The Viralian Captain turned to where his sire was casually looking over the other reports on his desk.

"Don't ever 'demand' anything from me again or I will hand you over to Dae myself. You're good-but not irreplaceable: either as a pilot or my favorite offspring."

"Yes, _sir_," Myotis conceded rather sourly. Then he turned on his heel and headed straight for the communications tent, thoughtfully thumbing his miniature prize.

* * *

_Notes_: By the way, Wizardmon's real name in this story is based on the card game evolution where as an Ultimate he becomes a skullmeramon. The 'William' is a homage to Myotismon13's 'Henry' stories.


	9. Wizard meets Gennai New assignment for

Wizard Meets Gennai; New Assignment for Demidevi

"Ah, Captain Mera… It's nice of you to join us." The brown-haired mon smiled pleasantly as he rose from his desk chair with a hand extended in welcome. (Being very tall, Ange's immediate supervisor towered over the much shorter Wizard, making the latter have to crane his neck to meet the commander's eyes, but that didn't bother Mera, who was used to being 'looked down upon' in more ways than one.) "As I'm sure Captain Ange has informed you, I'm Major Gennai Garder, commander of Serval Air Force Base and the lovely lady with me is Lt. Lilly Palma of our M.I. division."

Wizard bowed his head in a civil gesture as from behind the Major and a little to one side, Lt. Palma also rose out of her seat, watching every move her Datan clan brother made with keen eyes-a fact that _did_ bother the pilot. Having people staring at him while he flew a plane was one thing because they really were watching Thunderball and not him for most of the performance; this wasn't pleasant at all and Wizard wished she'd decide to observe something other than himself. Unfortunately, he knew he was the reason their M.I. was here so he'd just have to grit his teeth and bear it.

_His M.I._, Wizard belatedly reminded himself a bit chagrined. He was aligned to the Vaccynes now-it was the Viralians who were the true enemy- had always been so in fact; he'd just never realized it until a few years ago. Heck, until just a bit ago he'd not imagined himself ever being part and parcel again to any military.

Their newest VAF captain accepted the handshakes with a firm grip which pleased Gennai. He'd feared the Datan wasn't totally stable yet given his earlier behavior with the guards; however, Garder couldn't keep his eyes from automatically going to the long piece of purple wool the recruit was wearing. "The grey suits you… as does the... eh… purple? He gave Captain Ange a sideways look, silently asking for information. Purple *anything* was not regulation. Now, Gennai was not a stickler for regulations when he considered them unnecessary or even a downright detriment. If that were not the case all the members of his base including him would be choking in ridiculously tight collars simply because whatever idiot had okayed the uniform design said so. Still, _this_ demanded _some_ sort of reasonable explanation: there was a bit of a difference between a potentially hazardous accessory like that and an undone button.

Wizard let his hand slip out of Teiru's grasp as he touched the scarf wrapped around his jaw and neck in a protective gesture.

Realizing that her friend was afraid he was going to be ordered to remove the nonconforming item, Ange gave him a confident smile, then turned and scowled at her superior.

"Surely, Major, since this whole thing is a little unorthodox already, a bit of colored cloth won't hurt?" Ange asked in a way that didn't quite sound like a question. Out of Wizard's view, she rather pointedly licked her lips.

Gennai thought that '_a bit_ of colored cloth' was an understatement; however, he got the message. One look at the former VDF pilot's eyes showed that Mera was far more ready to dump the uniform than the scarf. Gennai glanced over to his side where Lt. Palma gave him an almost imperceptible nod of confirmation:

Only his sheer conditioning to obey an authority figure was keeping the younger mon from bolting right out the door; any promises made to Teiru notwithstanding. If he wanted the mon then he'd have to take the scarf into the deal.

Gennai knew what lay behind the dark material since both Ange and the M.I. guards had described the mutilation. Certainly the Captain's behavior had amply declared how much his 'Demon's Mark' bothered him; either way -scarf or scars- the mon was bound to catch more than the usual share of attention from the others at the base: everyone by now knew who 'Wizard' was if not yet who he had been.

Given the tendency of some to 'tend the fuel lines' that revelation, too, was only a matter of time.

_Pick your battles, Garder._

"Of course," Garder said diplomatically. "I think we can bend the rules a little under the circumstances. I'll have you issued a white scarf-"

The sound that came from Wizard's throat could only be called a growl. He'd already dropped into a 'street fighter's crouch'. _"Nimari shakirta!_ Izkza wi k'zak armashink."

"What?"

"_Not_ giving anyone my armashink. _Not again_."

Garder lifted an inquiring eyebrow as he gazed sternly at the battle-ready Datan. "Kindly stand down, Captain, unless you want me to call Security- and tell me what the hell you are so uptight about?"

Realizing that Teiru was blinking at him in surprise and with good reason, Wizard hastened to explain to her as he cautiously righted his posture, never taking his eyes from Garder. "This _'scarf'_ was my father's as the ring was my mother's. He wove it himself. It's traditional. Irreplaceable. _You_ know I can't part with it without a fight." He said the last to Lt. Palma, plainly seeking backup from a fellow Datan.

"I'm afraid you're not going to get him to budge on this, sir," a resigned Palma informed her commander. "It's considered a passé custom in modern times, understand," ( here she shot Wizard a look of annoyance) "but in a few of the more isolated rural villages the males still do the weaving work for personal attire. An _armashink_ is a hand-woven length of wool or other material made by the father to give to the son when the new adult leaves home to start his own life. When the son becomes a father and his position is reversed, his armashink is partially undone so that some of the fibers can be removed and woven into the new one. They are considered objects of reverence by the family. A typical, well-cared for armashink may carry as much as five generations worth of scarf fibers embedded into the piece before the oldest threads become too fragile from the elements. Though, if memory serves the items are usually worn around the waist like a belt and not as a scarf." She cocked her head. "Did the Virals actually let you keep it with you?" she asked Mera. "I thought they didn't approve of impressed workers having reminders of non-military family ties?"

"No, sir. I was 'enlisted' too suddenly for father to do this for me before I was dragged off." Wizard caressed the warm, tightly-knit material as if it was spun of gold and not common animal hairs. "He started it afterward, sending it to me at the training camp; but Major Pied had it burned in my presence and shipped back with a note that if my father wanted to bother with such things, he'd better get started having another male child." Mera found the section of his scarf where the purple was mixed with a few darker strands. "My father was determined though. He must have found a few viable fibers that had not been burned too badly and made a second armashink. This one he kept at home against the day I should be released from Viralian service. It was beside me the morning I woke up with the ring in my hand when I went home to beg for food." Wizard's green eyes shone with determination. "I will wear it as a scarf or as a belt. But I _will_ wear it in honor of him and my ancestors whether you give me a 'regulation' scarf or no."

"It does blend well with the light gray of the uniform and his own bluish-gray complexion, sir," Lt. Palma said, smirking when her somewhat unprofessional observation caused Ange to grit her teeth: She'd put the Captain into the position of either disagreeing and insulting her friend, or publicly agreeing with her rival-something she knew Ange would rather eat exhaust fumes then do.

To her disappointment, Teiru opted to keep silent.

"All right, young Mera," Garder snorted his neutral acceptance. "I do seem to recall Leo saying something about the ungodly fuss you kicked up when he took it from you. Something about needing three mon just to hold you down. You can keep your amonshik."

"_Armashink_… sir" Lt. Palma corrected him when her clan brother bristled at the slip.

"Of course; isn't that what I said? Now if all parties will stand at ease, perhaps we can proceed?"

Seeing he wasn't going to have to fight anyone after all, Wizard let out the breath he'd been holding, clearly relieved at this concession to his wardrobe. He'd rather stay in the cell than be forced to go out bare faced. It had been bad enough that the four MP's and Teiru had seen his mouth; he didn't think he could stand being displayed for others in the base. However, to lose his armashink would have been just too much even if they'd given him an imported silken scarf in replacement. "Thank you, sir… and if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be called 'Wizard'. 'Mera' is too closely associated with 'Skull' in my mind and he was forcibly put to rest. Can we let what is dead remain dead?"

"I'm afraid that for bureaucratic reasons that won't be possible for paperwork," Gennai regretfully informed him, "however, as a code name-'Wizard' will be fine." He smiled. "So, Captain _Wizard_, what do you think of Serval?"

"Er... I haven't exactly seen that much as yet save for your prison, a storage room, and now here," Mera admitted to the Vaccyne commander. "It is… bigger than Spiral base."

"How much bigger?" Lt. Palma asked him, insinuating herself between Wizard and Ange while smiling sweetly at the mon- much to the former's unease and the latter's annoyance. "By size? Armaments? Personnel?"

Wizard shifted his gaze from hers, uncomfortable with the lieutenant's scrutiny and close proximity. This Lilly was a beautiful womon- a beautiful, Datan womon-, but his past experiences under Dae had left him extremely leery of anything to do with intelligence gatherers. "Um… Bigger. Size-wise, I guess," he muttered. "I'm not really sure. It's the impression I've gotten is all."

Feigning curiosity about the room he was in, Wizard found his eyes wandering over to an usual item sitting on a shelf behind the officer's head: a child's toy. It caught his attention not only because he'd never imagined a ranking officer keeping a toy in his office -at least not that kind; something about it looked familiar. Yet for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like he or his sister had ever had a stuffed animal growing up. Games and toys had consisted of natural things like sticks and pebbles. Useful items were too precious a commodity for toys.

Lt. Palma, however, refused to take the hint. "But you know the technical specs for Spiral Base. If you…. Captain? Are you listening?"

Seeing that the Datan's attention was riveted on his memorabilia shelf, Garder moved to get the ragged item down and set it on his desk. The ratty-furred stuffed bear had an eye missing and a torn ear, its inadequate stuffing in the tummy section causing it to list to the left and a tad forward as it sat there on the edge of Garder's desk like a tired old man waiting to begin one last story before nap time. "Recognize this do you, Captain?" Gennai asked; a strange gleam in his eyes.

"It... It reminds me of…" Then it clicked. But the odds that it... Yet it _was_ the same toy. Of course it was. Where else had he ever seen a real teddy bear?

Mera paled noticeably. His gaze locked back onto the Major's face, studying his features carefully. "Not you," he said at last, sounding hesitant about his statement. "It can't have been you."

"No…" Garder agreed with a slight smile, "not me-but close. It was my brother." Gennai indicated the stuffed bear. "And my nephew as well. Rest assured, Wizard, that General Azula remembers the day very vividly when a Viralian fighter with skull logos dropped down practically on top of him and held him at gun point-but never seemed to get around to pulling the trigger. That was deemed strange enough; but it seemed that those precious minutes of unexplainable delay by a blue faced, blond-haired 'Angel of Death' kept him from blindly carrying his ill child right into a neighboring building just before it toppled into a smoking heap." Patting the bear on the head, Gardner snorted softly. "Old goat still tells of it at family get-togethers so that everyone but the grandkids are well nigh sick of hearing it. Truth to tell, before I saw that file I half thought he had been making the story up all those years." Garder chuckled. "When I told him I had a certain Dark Forces ace in custody and likely owed him an apology for doubting his veracity, he demanded to see the information Tenny found and sent word back that he wanted to know if you remembered the incident too. It seems you do."

Teiru felt her jaw go a little slack. "You mean the general in Wizard's story was THE General Azula? Sub-Commander of the United Armed Forces?"

"Well, he wasn't _quite_ so prestigious eleven years ago," Garder smirked.

"Sacred Ssss..!" Teiru began before she remembered where she was and with whom. Um… pardon me, sir."

Gennai chuckled at Ange's discomfiture. It was a rare occasion you saw the tough 'Lightning' lose it. "You're pardoned, Captain. It is a bit of a shock to learn your friend nearly killed the country's biggest hero."

Wizard groaned, resting his bowed his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, commander."

"For what?" Garder asked in wiry amusement. "Not blowing my brother and my nephew away?"

"No!" Mera jerked upright, putting his hands back at his sides. Gods, but he was strafing this big time. Poor Ange was probably wishing she'd left this skinny oaf in the cell! "I mean, no, sir. I'm…" He forced himself to take a deep breath before apologetically mumbling, "I think I'm still a bit storm shocked by everything, sir."

"I see… Small world and all that, eh?" Gennai said mildly, carefully replacing the bear on its original perch.

More like 'small world turned over and shaken not stirred' William thought, but kept silent, trying to attract Teiru's eye. He did catch a quick glimpse of the Captain looking like she was gamely trying to suppress a cough, but Lt. Palma shifted her stance, blocking his view of his closest supporter.

Lt. Palma of M.I… Dear ancestors, Wizard didn't even want to know what _she_ was planning to write up in his personal profile! Probably was going to recommend he be demoted to ensign and consigned to kitchen or latrine duties.

"Besides how you prefer to be publicly addressed," Major Garder asked, getting Wizard's divided attention back, "are there any other special requests you'd like to make me aware of, Captain?"

"Well…" the Datan looked as if he was about to say something, and then squared his shoulders as he realized that Garder was very possibly being sarcastic. Belial and Pied would have made their displeasure plainer, but perhaps this Vaccyne's ire was more subtle? He had noticed that the clan was more inclined to use verbal discipline than physical. That was a difference it would take some getting used to. "Er... No, sir. It was not my intention to seem needy or ungrateful, I..." he began his apology in a clipped voice; hurrying to make amends for even thinking that the offer was a sincere one instead of an admonishment to remember his place.

"At ease, Captain," Garder cut in, smiling down at him, "and let me set you straight about a few things before you suffer a stress stroke on me. One: Nobody in this room blames you for your past: You will only be judged by what you do from here on out. If you should catch any flack from others I want you to report the incident to either myself, Lt. Palma, or Captain Ange-because I won't tolerate such behavior from those I command. Two: If I did not want you here as an enlistee you'd still be behind bars awaiting a military court sentence. Three: Far from wanting your neck on a platter, General Azula has authorized me to give you whatever you need to make your stay with us as comfortable for you as possible. Meaning that if you have special dietary or medical needs, I want to know about them and accommodate those which I can. Whatever it is, though, -unless it is medical or otherwise time sensitive?" The slightly dazed pilot shook his head. "No? Then it will need to wait a bit. Now if we may get down to business?" He indicated two chairs behind them.

Wizard took a chair; Lt. Palma pulling hers to set it perpendicular to him. Teiru excused herself long enough to bring her friend a glass of water with a straw long enough for him to insert under the scarf so he wouldn't have to take it off. He accepted it with a grateful look in his eyes.

For over two hours the Datan told them everything he knew about the Viralian bases, personnel and armament, as well as their weak spots-the Major recording it all. After he was done, he cast his eyes morosely to the floor.

Clearing his throat, Major Garder looked sympathetic. "I know it must be hard to betray your former comrades like this, Captain, but it is necessary to help end the war. This debriefing was in no way meant to be cruel towards you and your sensibilities."

"No, sir." Wizard shook his head with a grimace. "What sense of loyalty I owed them was from ignorance and long since gone. You have already shown me more consideration then they did in all my years over there. What concerns me now is what they will do to my birth village when they realize what I've done. I doubt that even my previous downfall in the caste system is enough to protect my family from retribution. For this my being Deleted will surely be discounted when it comes to revenge. Being an awol hireling is one thing; being a traitor twice-over is quite another."

"And you want to go in and get them out, is that it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you give us the coordinates of this village?" Lt. Palma asked.

"No." Wizard slumped. "I know only that it is deep within Viralian territory, but I don't know its exact coordinates-they don't give that knowledge to Datan 'converts', you see, lest they get homesick and tempted to return there. As a fighter pilot, I was given only our own military locations and those known of the enemy to memorize." He growled softly in disgust. "I can tell you the exact location of every Vaccyne town within a 5,000 mile radius, but I can't pinpoint my own village on a map. I'd have to find it by visual means based on my recollections of the area some 17 years ago. To say the least that could take some time."

"But you went home after Dae had released you?" Ange frowned. "That's how you said you got the ring and the—the armashink."

"I wrote the village name on a piece of cardboard and waited on the road four days and three nights before I finally found a traveler who acknowledged he was going in that direction and was kind enough to pretend he didn't see a battered Datan climbing into his truck bed to crawl under the straw. Some time later, he then casually let it out that he had reached a 'certain place' and I got off. I was pretty tired and still in some pain, so I couldn't tell you even how long I was in the truck let alone what directions he took. After Belial came for me, he let me know that that little episode had been witnessed by someone sent to watch me and that the traveler was duly… reprimanded for his good deed. On the trip back to Spiral, I was kept blindfolded." He smirked, though without any humor in the expression. "I've a pretty good memory with star-based 'maps' though. It won't be an impossible endeavor...just potentially lengthy."

"Oh." Teiru decided that given her enlightenment on Viralian disciplinary plans so far, she didn't want to know what form the 'reprimand' had taken.

Gennai harrumphed. "Well… Then I suppose Teiru here can take you up with her team for a bit of reconnaissance work."

However, Wizard shook his head again.

"Your pardon, sir, but though modern jets are faster they are also highly visible on radar. By the time we got near my destination, half the Dark Force would be on us. Plus, this is personal. We are not worth your risking your best fighters for. I can go alone."

"You don't mean you plan to take Thunderball?" Teiru asked uncertainly. There was no way she was letting him go deep into enemy territory in that dinosaur no matter how good of a shape it was in! Add to that he didn't even know exactly where he was going and the whole idea was ludicrous.

"Yes," Wizard smiled, guessing the reason for that crease forming between her eyes. "She's perfect for the job: small, agile, nothing high tech for radar to pounce on. After all, she got _you_ safely away for me; she can get me home and back as well. I'll hollow out the cargo area. She should be able to carry the weight of two passengers that way. The rest can flee into the wilderness as best they can. I only wish I knew where my sister might be so I could rescue her as well."

Garder, however, disagreed. "I don't like it."

Wizard looked him straight in the eye as he replied, "I don't like this whole war. However, life so far hasn't given a broken egg about my likes and dislikes if you take my meaning, sir."

There was silence as Gennai considered the Datan. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Wizard, but I can't allow it. Personal feelings aside, H.Q. would have my head if I let you go alone. Despite my brother's endorsement, there are still those that think you might be a spy for the Virals. However, if you'll impart to Ms. Palma, here, what information you can, we'll see if your family can't be found and a rescue mission organized."

Disappointed, but hardly surprised by the rejection, Wizard closed his eyes, while nodding in acquiescence. It had been a crazy hope after all. He felt a warm hand grasp him on the shoulder and cringed a bit at the contact, quickly willing his muscles to relax before they could do something stupid.

"Son," Gennai said sadly, "I'm truly sorry, and believe me when I tell you that it has nothing to do with your family being Datan. I won't insult your intelligence by pretending that bigotry is dead on our side of the fence, but Lt. Palma can assure you that it isn't nearly as bad here as what you experienced over there."

"I understand, Major. I'm just… worried."

"Of course you are." Gennai patted his shoulder in sympathy. "I'd be a bit apprehensive about any mon who had no sense of loyalty to family. After talking with Palma, I want Teiru to start updating you on the Gammas right away. It will help to take your mind off of it." The Major stood up to address then all. "You're dismissed." He looked pained as a thought crossed his mind, holding up a hand to stop Wizard as he headed for the doorway. "Eh… Captain? One more thing? When you meet Lt. Tento, try to make allowances? He's young and still worships you."

"Worships me?" Wizard asked blankly, now utterly confused. He couldn't see anyone worshiping him let alone some kid he'd never met before. Even Teiru's adulation was unwarranted. Initially, he'd left Viral as much for himself as for her welfare.

"Extremely." Gennai smiled knowingly. "Lt. Tento is Ange's squad technician and a darn good computer expert. He's the one who hacked into your file. Nearly gave me a heart attack when he suddenly bowled into my office and shoved your picture in my face babbling on about "It's him! It's him!"

"I'm sorry sir, I still don't understand. Why would this Lt. Tento of yours idolize a deleted enemy?"

In answer, Garder pointed at the bedraggled teddy bear.

"_That, _my boy_,_ belongs to Tenny."

~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dark-skinned Rookie with a round face and owlish eyes, grudgingly awoke when the teleprompter suddenly went off during his nap.

Lt-Ensign Demidevi 'Imp' Pico, rubbed his eyes and yawned dramatically as he switched on his table lamp.

"Of all the sludgy times," the spy cursed in irritation, dragging himself out of bed in order to pull the dinosaur of a device out from the drawer he'd put it in.

Because it was so ridiculously outdated, the thing was virtually invisible to the Vaccyne security forces that tended to watch electronic airwave transmissions and ignore things like buried wires. It had been no small feat to set the system up undetected-the work of decades-but so far the 'Vaccy's had not found him or any of the hackers that had rotation duty at the spy station.

Usually the duty was deadly dull with a minimum of actual work required. This suited Pico just fine as he wasn't exactly the aerobic type.

The title of this latest transmission was already printed out:

'Get Off Your Fat Arse IMP Stop'

"Heh", Pico sat back down on his bed. "Myotis… ever as charming in print as in person." He scrubbed at his face, realizing he needed a shave and just as quickly decided he didn't care. "I wonder what Sir Bloody wants done that he can't do himself?" He read the body of the message with some surprise and not a little anticipation. Most jobs sent his way had to do with breaking into Vaccyne information computers and keeping an eye on their news services both public and not so public. It could be rather boring work. Again, he didn't mind that. But now Belial apparently desired him to do something on the side and had already sent his replacement on the way. His observation duty was cut short, it seemed.

Awww… What a shame.

Still, anything to do with Myotis had to be dirty, underhanded, and thus rather satisfying to do in its own way. This time was no different.

Maybe he'd even get to off someone? Devi liked getting in someone's face before watching them die. It was more personal that way.

Grinning happily, Pico grabbed his clothes and started to get dressed. The hard part was going to be getting that fly boy away from his nursemaid.

"I hope he reads the Daily." The viral mused. "Or maybe I should hack into The Messenger's personals too? Awww, why the heck not do both!" Cracking his knuckles, he booted up his computer.

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day. I've got a wonderful feeling, everything's going my way..."


	10. The grudge match

The Grudge Match

It was a toss up as to whom was more relieved when Wizard's session with Lt. Palma was over with: the interviewee or the interviewee's squad commander, but Ange wasn't aware of that.

"Well, _she_ sure is losing her 'cactus needle' image fast, isn't she?" Teiru groused as the two walked towards the base's hangars. "I mean, what was it with all that "Relax, studly" and "Don't fret about it, big boy" stuff?"

Wizard glanced at her while she was busy pantomiming the other womon with wide-eyed cutesy looks and stifled a laugh. "You're jealous?"

"Of that thorn bush turned street vamp? Nooooo."

He nodded knowingly, trying to keep his voice even as he battled with his mirth. "You're jealous because she has aristocratic charm with classical beauty and a nice laugh and because she and I are Datans and you think I'm likely to gravitate towards her for that reason alone if none of the others."

"_Palma_ obviously thinks so!" the catlike womon growled. "That witch did everything but throw you down on the table and-"

"Hmm… Well, her skin tone does kind of color coordinate with my eyes." Wizard rubbed his chin through the material of his armashink as if in deep thought, all the while keeping her face within his peripheral vision. "I dunno, maybe she'd make a good mate." He stopped in his tracks, half twisting his torso as if contemplating turning around. "You think I should-?"

A white hand non-too-gently grabbed his sleeve, pulling him sideways towards the bristling Captain in mid step.

"That had better be you trying to tease me, mister!" She threatened him with her fist.

"You _are_ jealous," Wizard grinned widely-and was darn thankful for the scarf that hid the fact. "Well, Teiru, the lieutenant can think what she likes. She's not the one wearing my mother's ring." He playfully roughed up her hair with his right hand before jauntily resuming his path towards the waiting planes, whistling cheerfully to himself.

Ange smiled a little dreamily as she automatically felt for the antique hidden under her tunic. It was there; the gold taking its energy from her body heat.

And now to me this ring you've given,

A symbol of ties unbroken; unshriven.

This piece of hope so gifted to me.

'Twined with such responsibility.

"Holding Light & Friendship in an eternal circle; ever connected always One, such shall we remembered be," Teiru breathed, quoting the words used when a mon and a womon committed themselves to a jogress relationship: living as bonded mates.

Granted, Wizard hadn't actually asked for such a relationship yet, but she was hopeful that he would ask her just as soon as he got settled in his new life. After all, it was she, Teiru Ange, whom Wizard had given such a precious item to, not that... that... _trollop_ from M.I.! Mollified, she quickened her pace to catch up to him.

"Okay, I'll curb my desire to scratch up that 'classical beauty' of hers. At least today; tomorrow," she shrugged, "we'll see."

"Aren't Vaccynes supposed to be the holders of Light and Righteousness?" Wizard absently asked her as their approach was watched by other base denizens. His practiced eye was quick to which were fellow pilots and which were mechanics and technicians busily working on the various aircraft maintained there, instinctively cataloguing potential threats without even consciously thinking about it. The various mon waved at Ange while giving her companion curious looks. Within minutes peaceful tending of plexisteel fuel lines had been abandoned in favor of another, more lively activity that had nothing to do with planes and _their_ innards.

_Sludge._

Wizard turned his gaze to the ground, his good mood dissipated. Soon everyone would know there was a new Datan in their midst. How long would it take for the news of just which Datan he was became common knowledge? There would be fights. It wasn't a question of if as of when.

Why couldn't mon be less of a curiosity-driven creature?

"Ha!" Ange sniffed, not yet realizing she had already lost his attention and had herself become part of others. "I guarantee that if she tries to kiss you again I'll show her the Light of little stars and the Righteousness of my fist!" She bumped into him as he suddenly stopped and backed up a step.

"Uh… Teiru? Would your Lt. Tento happen to be about 5"7' with flaming red hair?"

"Yes, that sounds like… Oh, I see." Teiru smiled at her friend's air of dismay as a teenaged boy fought free of the gathering crowd and pelted their way at full gallop. "No use trying evasive, Captain-just strengthen your shielding!" she laughingly warned just before the living guidance missile hit the target full force. Despite being forewarned, the small Datan would have gone down on his butt from the sheer power of the collision if it wasn't for two strong arms that wrapped around his torso as they spun together in a one-eighty.

"Datan, blond, blue!" the boy exclaimed giving his victim a rapid once over. "It's you! It's really you- _father's Guardian Angel!_" The muscular arms tightened in a crushing hug.

Unable to get a full lungful of air, Wizard let his eyes silently 'plead' with his laughing commander: _"Get him off of me!"_

Teiru just laughed the harder, too busy trying to get her own breath back to be of any help.

"ATTENTION! LIEUTENANT TENTO- FRONT AND CENTER!"

The boy hastily released Wizard-causing him to fall down after all- and scrambled to attention as the sound of the mighty roar echoed in everyone's ears.

"Lt. Tento, that is no way to greet a ranking officer!" 1st Lt. Vee 'Dragon' Flahm rebuked the wide-eyed boy.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Oh, power down the gunnery, Vee," Ange grinned, still holding her aching sides. "I bet you were once a wide-eyed hero-worshiper too." She patted the teen on the shoulder. "Relax, Tenny. No harm done."

"Easy for you to say," Wizard wheezed from his sitting position. He patted his ribcage. "I think my chest just got compressed down to a smaller tunic size."

"I'm sure you'll survive. After all," Teiru's eyes twinkled. "You're a hero and heroes don't whine about being glomped."

"Glomped?" Wizard blinked, rubbing his sore ribs.

"Hero glomped," Vee grunted, the blue mon crossing his arms in front of his chest as he scowled with disdain upon Mera. "Not, Tenny, that street trash warrants either badge of honor," Dragon loudly continued, "In my book VAF Captains earn their rank by defending their people. And when I was young the idols were worth both the worship and the title." He scathingly eyed the fallen Datan. "They didn't work for the enemy and get knocked flat on their tails by mere kids!"

"Vee, knock it off," Ange warned her wingmon. "What is it that you can't stop acting like a jerk when Wizard is around? What happened to that 'extra full line' you promised?" She glanced around and saw that they had attracted the others who'd just been looking for an excuse to move in closer. Some muttered amongst themselves, having recognized the Datan from the public flying arena. She caught the words 'Wizard' and 'stunt flier' being passed around to those not in the know.

Damn. This was not the way she'd hoped to introduce Mera to her colleagues.

"It got incinerated along with the 430 people in File City the Viralians attacked and killed this morning, Teiru!" Vee spat at the ground by Mera's feet. "And _he_ has the gall to come here wanting to fly _our_ planes while wearing _Viralian purple!_"

"Viralian?" 2nd Lieutenant Grey Agu, a large, beefy mechanic questioned aloud, looking Wizard up and down. He looked at Vee "What's this all about, First lieutenant Flahm?"

In answer, Vee pointed an accusatory finger at Wizard. Before he could say something, though, Tento (quite unthinkingly) beat him to it.

"That's Captain William Skull Mera of the Viral—"

Ange clamped her hand over the boy's mouth. "Tenny!"

Agu's close friend, 'Howling' Wolf Gabu sidled up to Teiru. "Viralian sympathizers don't wear the greys," he loudly proclaimed so that the whole crowd could hear. Tuning down his voice, he asked her, "You want me and Agu should break this up?"

"Don't," Agu grunted. "If that's 'Wizard' then Dragon's been wanting this scuffle for a long time, and from the looks of it, so has the other fellow. Let 'em get it out of their systems."

Everyone moved away to give the two mon some space. Teiru could see credits changing hands.

Typical.

Satisfied that he had a suitably sized audience, Vee made a show of warming up. "I'm going to knock you all the way back to detention. Save the MP's the trip out here." He gave Wizard a push. Wizard fell back a step, but did not fall down.

"You need to check your eyesight, Dragon," Mera said with false mildness. "Virilian purple has more red." He indicated his armashinka. "This is my family's color: a _Datan_ color."

"Well, _Datan_ purple doesn't go well with Vaccyne whites and greys, Ace." Vee sneered. Giving him another, harder push. This time Wizard fell, but it was a controlled fall, like he'd let himself get knocked down. His eyes glanced quickly at Teiru before settling on his opponent again.

"I'm here to work with you, not against you. This fight is pointless, Dragon. We should be planning strike's against Viral."

"So what? You can sabotage them? If you really want to work _with_ us, Captain Skull," Vee sneered as Wizard slowly started to stand up "you should start by getting yourself a decent scarf and burn that revolting, Viralian thing."

That did it.

Green eyes narrowed to slits. Gloved hands clenched.

He'd tried to be the pacifist for Teiru's sake, but now Dragon had gone too far. Cold fury was brimming within him. He could feel it. All he had to do was let it heat up and let loose and that smile would be wiped from Dee's mouth never to form again. He knew so many attack forms that could do it. He could hear Belial's voice in his head reciting to him the properties each one and what it would do to an opponent.

_Thunderball was enough to put a mon down._

_Magical Game would be more than enough to maim for life._

_Vision of Terror would -quite literally- be overkill._

_Kill._

_Slaughter the enemy; show no mercy._

"_Feel the rage, little Mera. Let it free."_

_If I let go...Death would smile as it devoured. Darkness would laugh praises of delight._

_If I let go..._

"_Let go, my Skull..._

_Free the ache of revenge within..._

_Kill for me."_

Wizard curled his legs under him but did not rise all the way to his feet, his jade eyes darkening to emerald under the amber hair that fell over his forehead. He held his arms loose and out from his sides, balancing himself. "If you want a fight with me that bad, Dragon, I'm right here. Just come over here."

Teiru shivered at the sound of Mera's voice-which he hadn't raised at all-, but which seemed to have taken on a more glacier quality that made her shiver. More so because she could sense the eagerness beneath it. Agu was right-despite his initial peaceful overture, Wizard wanted this fight as much as Vee did.

Dragon for his part had adopted much the same stance; head lowered slightly, eyes unblinking and locked on target.

Teiru's shiver became a spike of fear. This had all the earmarks of something more deadly than a quick grudge match.

'Good grief...' Teiru gasped, they were going to kill each other! She started to raise her arms in a gesture of 'time out', when Dragon threw himself at Wizard.

After that it was a blur of motion.

The Vaccyne made a grab for the homespun scarf meaning to use the article to choke its owner into submission; Wizard dropped backwards onto his back while kicking up and sending the larger mon flying overhead. Vee recovered quickly, rolling away, but not before getting a boot heel to the thigh. Pulling out of the sweeping kick he had started, Wizard rose to his feet, watching Dragon like a wary hawk; shifting his weight from foot to foot. Dragon got up with more care, his fists balling as he stepped forward more slowly this time, favoring leg a little, yet looking for the best opening to attack again.

'ENOUGH!" Teiru snapped, jumping between them. She ignored the sounds of disappointment from her coworkers as she shoved them both combatants in opposite directions. Vee grunted, rubbing his leg. Wizard might as well have been carved from stone for all the reaction that he showed. "No fist fighting on this base!"

"Aw, Captain!" one of them jokingly groused loud enough for her to hear, "I didn't see any fists...it was more like feet!" Sporadic laughter came of that observation.

"Since you seem so eager to see blows traded of any sort, Mister Gomma," she snapped back, " if you'd be so kind as to bring me two mops? _Wizard_, pay attention to your commanding officer!"

The brash-mouth Lieutenant grinned. Saluted her as he quickly scrounged up two of the cleaning implements with the willing aid of some of the others who made sure they were well loaded with soapy water.

"_You!_" she snarled at the Datan who had finally snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in enough to look like he was actually was seeing her. "Get back five paces and stay there!"

"And _you_", she pointed a threatening finger at her sulking fighting partner, "back five and _freeze!_"

Seeing the look on her face, they hastily complied.

Accepting the mops from Gomma, Teiru tossed one to an unhappy Dragon and one to a bemused Wizard. "You guys want to have your little macho contest? _Fine!_ But it's going to be a 'clean' fight of five minutes and no more. First one to get a face full or let his weapon's business end touch the ground concedes the match. Mop ends only! If I see either one of you two overly-hormone endowed idiots use the wooden end on the other there will be no need for Biyo to figure out who works K.P. for next month's shifts- _have I made myself clear?"_

Laughter from the crowd. This was scenario was nothing new, but enjoyable to watch nonetheless.

"Yeah… Captain," Vee grumbled, holding the mop like a staff.

William was thoughtfully fingering the dripping end of his own 'weapon'. "As my lady says," Wizard bowed when she glared at him for taking too long to answer.

"Ready?" Ange held up her arm while consulting her watch…

Dragon shot Wizard an evil look. "You are going to get the drubbing of your life, Mera."

"You know, Flahm, whether I win or lose- you're all wet."

"You think so, Dark Boy? Prepare to get your first good washing behind those ears, Willie."

Wizard reaffirmed his grip on the mop.

"Ahem!" Teiru brought her arm down in a slashing movement. "Go!"

As Vee ran forward, Wizard hurled his mop into the air just in time to make his own charge, double grabbing the pole of his opponent's weapon while picked up his feet in a jackrabbit kick. The unexpected forward then downwards weight of the Datan crashing into his midriff caused Dragon to lose his balance and go toppling flat on his back, still clutching his mop, but rendered momentarily helpless; the breath knocked out of him.

Meanwhile, the Datan had leapt to his feet. To everyone's surprise, Wizard made no move to save his mop from hitting the ground as it fell past him a second later. Instead, he knelt down by the groaning Dragon. Using one finger, Wizard tipped Vee's mop so that the sodden material landed squarely on the Vaccyne's face.

"I concede the match, Dragon...but you're still all wet."


	11. Turbulence

Part #11 Turbulence

"All right, everyone!" Ange barked. "Show's over! Better scarper back to your workstations before the M.P.s decide to notice this little scene!" She let Vee struggle to his feet unassisted so that the embarrassed mon could keep some scraps of his pride. "Go get changed, Vee. Take the rest of the day off if you want, I'll cover for you."

Dragon nodded, not looking at anyone as he headed for the barracks, ignoring the occasional sympathetic word or slap to the back from his friends:

"Ya can't expect a damned Datan Virrie lover to fight fair."

"Those types are slippery like snakes. She should have allowed fists-then you'd have knocked him senseless."

Dragon only growled back something unintelligible in reply as he wiped at the soap film trailing down his face.

Ange sighed and handed Wizard's fallen mop to Gomma to deal with. Sludge… that had not gone at all well. She glanced around for the 'loser' and found him leaning against a Delta fighter's front nosegear, gamely trying to ignore an enthusiastic Lt. Tento who was making practice kicks and karate chops into the air while illustrating them with 'pow!' noises.

Great.

Grey Agu and Corporal Gabu appeared at her side. Gabu was from the infantry on leave to visit his blood brother and his face and hands proudly sported the war stripes of a veteran Beta gunner. Quietly clearing his throat, he also was watching the scene going on under the plane. "I don't know about you, Captain, but my internal barometer is dropping like crazy. You've got a home-based warm front,"-he cocked his head back to where Vee had taken off to- "banging head on into an invading cold system. And if the storm winds aren't rising fast, well, then I'm a Rookie."

"Nice choice of words," Teiru grimaced humorously, "You could take a job as a weather forecaster."

Agu chuckled, "Wolf here uses colorful themes, but apt ones." He caught the Captain's eyes and held them. "Listen to him, Ange. Dragon's been the prevailing force around the other pilots for three years. Now along comes this newcomer and even our young storm chaser over there has switched his interest. It was bad enough the Viralians chose now to do a major offensive, but Tenny really rubbed salt into the wound with that 'hero' stuff. Not that the boy meant to hurt Vee's feelings of course. In fact, I think I'll go give the lad some advice on patching up our Dragon's pride-or at least on how not to damage it any more."

As the beefy mechanic walked purposely towards Tento, Ange quietly confided to the Beta gunner. "Gods know I wanted to introduce Wizard smoothly and look what happened: I think half the crew is now afraid of him." Ange shook her head, feeling a headache coming on. "What do you suggest, Wolf?" Teiru asked the Datan. "How can I fix this?"

Gabu scratched the back of his head. "Pray that the two opposing weather fronts even out quickly before we get irreparable storm damage?" He sighed heavily, hating to have to give out bad news. "I sense that what we saw here was just the edge of a hurricane. Your friend over there is the eye-the focal point that's generating it." He bit his lip. "Captain, out on the lines we dirt huggers see more details than you fly birds do. Up in the air you get this panoramic scope: the forest but not the trees; we see the face of the enemy head on." He indicated Wizard who had just moved to stop Lt. Tento's gyrations and was looking extremely tense. "That mon is dangerous."

Teiru frowned when she saw that whatever was going on between the pilot and the computer tech was causing the latter some distress. "That's what he insists, but I don't think he's any more so than what any one of us hold. We are out here to fight aren't we? Trained and paid." She turned her head to see the northerner's pensive expression. "So… is this unease just a gut feeling?"

"No… something I saw in his eyes. Something that I'm seeing right this minute even in the way he's holding himself. Your friend over there is packing bigger gales than he's letting loose right now. Like I said… the edge of a storm."

Teiru nodded. "He's told me. Wizard's been through stuff that makes me shudder just to think about it."

"I don't doubt it. Step carefully, Teiru. You never know when a storm takes a turn for the worse."

Ange snarled as Tenny ran past them, obviously crying. "Something just tells me it already did."

Damn it all-now what?

* * *

(A few minutes before)

"And it was over so fast!" Tenny crowed to Wizard. "Can you teach me to fight like that? Like you were taught?"

His blue-skinned idol tensed, finally showing some awareness that Tento was even there. "Lieutenant, don't ever wish for such a thing."

"Why not? I want to kick butt like you do!"—another foot shot- "Please, sir-I promise I'll be the perfect student! It'll be totally digimental!" he went into some more whirling kicks. "Air or land, we'll be a regular killing machine team just like you were with Bloody Ni-"

Even though he was almost three inches taller and carried a few pounds more in weight, Tenny was stopped cold as Wizard's hands came down hard on his shoulders. He peered questioningly into the partially obscured face of his hero. Why was he looking so angry?

"Lt. Tento, you don't know what you're talking about and I hope you never find out." Mera hissed.

"But?"

"You should pay attention to Dragon. I'm not a hero. I never was a hero."

"Yes you are, sir, you—"Tenny started to argue.

"No! I'm not!" Wizard internally groaned at the stubborn expression on the young mon's face. "Look at me and tell me what you see."

"Captain Skull, the pilot who saved me and dad and top team mate to the best fighting unit of either—"

"Skull is DEAD, Mister Tento! My saving you and Azula was a *fluke*. Understand? I wasn't sent out to save anybody's life. And the mon standing before you was only ever a 'team mate' to Belial in his earliest, deepest delusions."

Tento licked his lower lip. "But dad…"

"Damn it kid, don't you understand? I was a just a tool! Don't *ever* want to be like me!" He let go as the frightened kid pulled away and stepped right into Agu's hulking form. Tenny bit back a sob, then turned tail and ran for the barracks.

"Kind of harsh on the kid, weren't you?" Agu grunted. "He's adored you as some sort of angelic being for years."

Wizard spared the big mon only a quick glance before turning to lay his hands upon the plane's front wheel as if checking the fit. "Better he know something of the truth now, then."

"Oh, I don't know…" Grey eyed the Datan sternly, "I kind of miss my own age of innocence. I'm Agu, by the way." He held out his hand, which the other shook after only a momentary hesitation.

"Greetings, Agu. I'm Wizard, the 'fallen' angel." Wizard bowed his head, starting to feel a bit ashamed now that his irritation with the boy was fading. He truly hadn't meant to slash into the kid like that. "And so do I- miss it, I mean."

"Want to talk about it?"

Soft growl. "Been there; done that… didn't help."

"Suit yourself, hotshot. But be prepared to do some explaining to your commander. Teiru don't take kindly to seeing two of her friends strafed down within minutes of each other. If you'll excuse me? I've got a wounded kid to hunt down and console." Shaking his head, Agu left him alone.

Mera closed his eyes and leaned once more against the nosewheel. Gennai, Palma, Dragon and now Tento. His social skills stank. Gods, could this day get any worse?

"Wizard! What the flaming hell did you say to Tenny?"

The pilot grimaced as Teiru's shadow came into view, reminding himself that one should never ask of the gods a stupid question.

* * *

It was after lunch before either felt civil enough to try again what they had originally come out to do. This time, the other mon who were out gave them a wide berth, studiously ignoring the pair.

Ignoring Wizard, Teiru thought morosely, but she couldn't very well blame them for being wary. He'd already shown himself to be a true fighter and one with trickster tendencies. Not that you could tell that from looking at him now. His eyes held more of Tenny's excitable energy than Dragon's smoldering fire. It was so hard to stay mad at him when he looked like that, though he'd certainly pushed the envelope this morning!

Wizard dutifully followed Ange up the service ladder that led up to Lightning Claw's cockpit and got his first look at the insides of a modern jet fighter.

"Great Gods of the Delicatessen!" Wizard whistled, making his comely 'instructor' laugh.

"Are those Datan deities?" Teiru snickered as she watched him cautiously lower himself into the Gamma fighter's cockpit, "I never heard of them before."

Wizard shook his head, his expression a bit dazed. "I made it up. Fighter pilots should be careful not to offend any real deity if they can help it. Teiru, how can you possibly fly and keep your eye on all these extra gauges at the same time? What the heck are half of them even for?"

"We think they were put in to give the spatial designers more of a challenge," Teiru smirked, whispering conspiratorially: "Secret Vaccyne Gamma Pilot trick? We ignore them most of the time. Half of what you've got there before your dazzled green eyes only need to be paid attention to if they start beeping like crazy and flash you their I.D.: that's Incoming Disaster warning. By then you already know your deep in a S.S. moment anyway."

"S.S. moment is… 'Serious Situation?" a distracted Wizard guessed. He was still trying to find the ignition switch on this monster!

"Sacred Sludge." Ange dryly corrected him. "But keep to the first translation if any of the civvies ask. Not that they aren't aware of the second one, but we of the prestigious VAF have a reputation to maintain." She pointed out the touch plate ignition for him. "New item. Only the authorized pilot and/or copilot can fly their plane. Feel it." He touched it with his gloved hand. "Without the glove?" Teiru sighed. Sheepishly, he complied and she keyed in a sequence. The pad lit up under his fingertips with a bright red flash that switched to a low green. "Now Lighting Claw will recognize your bioaura- and before you ask; yes, even with the gloves on."

Putting the leather accessory back over his hand, Mera looked thoughtful. "You mean I can fly your plane?"

"Well, don't activate any buttons just yet, ace!" Teiru chuckled as he snatched his hand away from anything that would start up the engines. "You're not doing any solos until you're familiar enough with her workings not to spin into the nearest barn wall." She gave him a hard stare. "And under no circumstances are you to try any of those Alpha stunts of yours with my baby- got it, mister?"

"Believe me, I wasn't planning to! This behemoth is too much for me to handle." (Though it was plain by the sparkle in his eyes that he was starting to get excited about the idea of trying to do just that.)

"In reality, there's very little that has changed from the older Delta's operation. You just need to know where those are." She pointed to the gauges and buttons in question. "Here… and here… That's your Alt and Vertical Speed indicator there. NAV 1 and 2 were moved here. Mmm… Emergency signal, eject, missile gauge, firing lock 1, 2, 3 and 4 spaced nicely apart so you don't accidentally fire yourself at the enemy instead of your fourth round of ammo."

Wizard grinned under the scarf fit to split his head in two. "Four! Mon, but the times I could have…" He flushed with embarrassment, remembering on whom he had last fired guns at. "Uh… Never mind. What else?"

* * *

Teiru looked on with amusement as Wizard took it all in like a duck to water, checking out every inch of the display panel and operational foot pad, pouring over the ops manual to check on the newer modifications.

"Multi-tasking Tactical Location and Guidance computer?" He grinned, lightly tapping a panel. "I think I'm going to like this thing just from the sound of it."

"Ready to take her up?" Ange joked as she quietly ran her fingers through the ends of his ponytail while he read another paragraph. Mera looked up with alacrity.

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

Taken by surprise by that given his earlier trepidation and denials of being able to fly her bird, Teiru threw back her head and laughed at his eager expression. "Well, you lose your first-time jitters fast, don't you? Got everything tagged into your memory already?"

Mera grinned, "Why do you think my sister called me 'Wizard'? I'm a fast learner." The eagerness faded a little as he recalled his sibling still working behind enemy lines if she was even still alive.

Spotting the beginnings of melancholy starting to rear its ugly head, Ange made a decision.

"Get in the back."

"What?" He blinked at her, not sure he'd heard correctly.

She gestured at the copilot's seat behind the pilot's. Modern planes didn't really need copilots, but the extra seat had been left in for passenger and training purposes-and probably because the designers hadn't wanted to bother dealing with even more changes. "Scoot. Before I change my mind."

He scrambled out and leaped into the back like a pro, already attaching the safety restraints that would keep him securely down in his seat during things like rollovers and evasive maneuvers.

From the front seat, Ange got herself strapped in as well and powered on his set of controls. "Watch your instrumentation; I'm setting it for training mode so that things will light up as I push them." She looked into her rearview mirror and saw him caressing everything like it was a new toy.

"How fast did you say she can go?" Mera asked, excitement thick in his tone.

"Wizard, are you sure you're older than me? Because I could swear I have this In-Training in my back seat."

"Stodginess is a state of mind."

"Thanks for the philosophy tip."

She radioed the tower that they were taking off and finally got clearance after Major Garder himself okayed it- along with a hefty warning not to leave friendly air space. Another glance back showed that her trainee was getting antsy as the precious minutes rolled by and they remained dirt-bound. She gave a small smile and switched the setting she had originally set. So he was eager to see what Lightning Claw could do, eh?

"Hold on."

The plane's jets roared into life as they shot straight up at emergency speed, then rolled over and shot forward at maximum.

From the tower came gales of laughter as Wizard's normally soft voice erupted over the still open communications panel loud and clear despite distortion by heavy g-forces:

"Sacred Sludge!"


	12. Storm Front: Wash out Wizard & Teiru'

Post #12 Storm Front

She taught him how to fly the Gamma in its jet mode, even letting him take the controls for awhile to practice until he felt comfortable with the aircraft.

Practice? Maybe 'play' would have been a better word to describe what he had been doing. She was beginning to wonder if the mon even knew how to fly straight- everything was swerves, rolls, and somersaults.

Or maybe this was his revenge for having startled that exclamation out of him when they'd taken off?

Peeking back at the Datan through the rearview mirror, she asked: "Had enough?"

"Nope."

"I swear you're going to wear everything out years before it's supposed to."

Wicked chuckle from the backseat as Wizard considered his next move. "Worried that your warranty coverage has expired?" He manipulated the rudder to veer to the west and went into a hammerhead turn, finishing the move with an aileron roll; all while humming snatches of a song under his breath.

Sitting like an extra piece of furniture in the front of her own plane while he sent Lightning Claw into a short tailspin, Ange pursed her lips as she listened to the tune, getting an uneasy feeling as she tried to recall from where she had heard it. "Actually, I was referring to my sense of equilibrium. And what was that last bit of rollercoasting for?" she asked him as they righted again.

"Hmm? Oh, I thought the ailerons might be sticking a bit. Just checking."

More humming.

"_Right_…ailerons sticking," Ange drawled; then proceeded to hold a short, but vocal conversation with herself:

"No 'fancy' flying, I said to him. Didn't I say that? Yes… Commander, you did, he replied. Then why are you flying like this, I asked? Because I have all the self-restraint of a little boy on a sugar high, he said."

She called back, "That about sum it up?"

"And she lowers to sarcasm, yet it only increases her charm," Wizard snickered, finally bringing Lightning Claw to a purely horizontal ride… more or less. "They are sluggish… a tad," he persisted with a teasing lilt in his voice.

She growled back a little at the idea that her aircraft was less than perfect. "No they aren't. You just overly hyper."

"I could fix it for you," he continued gleefully. "Open her out… do some twists."

Swallowing the wrong way, Ange choked a bit. "Twists? What the heck do you call what you *have* been doing?" She saw him shrug; the unrepentant bastard! "Wizard- the ailerons are fine," Teiru retorted. "Quit looking for an excuse to do stunts-as if you actually *need* one, you reprobate. Lightning Claw is fine-or was fine this morning before I let you get your mitts on him. At any rate, if anything mechanical needs fixing on my plane, Agu will take care of it. It's his job. I'm not letting you get into my guy's guts. Just because I'm letting you fly him, that doesn't mean I want you anywhere in his guts." She scowled at what her navigation instruments was telling her. "And get back on the practice course."

"What happened to that sense of adventure, you had Gato? The one that makes my heart go pitter patter when I see it in those glorious blue orbs of yours?"

Teiru blushed. Dang…was he actually flirting with her? If this was the result of what happened when he got into a mecha, she'd have to send them out into the air more often! *After* she'd gotten him to solemnly swear to pay attention to her ground rules, though- like staying on the designated flight plan. "I pawned it out this morning, okay? Just where do you think it is you're heading, anyway?"

"The public hangars. I want to check on Thunderball. …And maybe buzz old Hawk a little," he giggled mischievously. "Old coot needs a little excitement in his life."

"Wizard! She tried to sound stern and not laugh- but it was nearly impossible as she could see in her mind's eye the look on the fussy gent's face as they roared into his compound. Sludge-but Garder would have their hides for sure. "Forget it, buster. This is supposed to be a training mission, not a personal joy ride."

"C'mon, Teiru," Wizard persisted. "Even if we let that old buzzard putter in peace, we can still introduce this stallion and my filly to each other. I solemnly swear that you can have the pick of any little baby jets that might result."

And he did a triple barrel roll that caused several warning lights to scream in protest. Accompanied by that damned smug humming again and this time there was no denying the tune. All trace of her revived good mood evaporating in the blink of an eye.

"Very funny, Captain. I'm ordering you to take us back onto the prescribed flight plan."

"It will only take a—"

"Now!" Ange snapped.

Behind her, Wizard swallowed in surprise at her sharp tone. ""Okay." He leisurely started a wide curve. "You're all serious and by-the-book all of a sudden. Was it something I said?"

"Not exactly."

"Something I didn't say?" he asked, preparing to even out their flight.

"Taking over Gamma control." She purposely flipped a sequence and the rear panels went dead before he could finish the course change.

"Hey!" her disgruntled 'student pilot' exclaimed as he was effectively demoted to passenger-only status. "Gee, Teiru-what's crawled up your exhaust shaft?"

"Shut up, Mister Mera."

Wizard froze as his real name left her lips. It wasn't so much that her voice had been dripping with sarcasm as she' said it so much as she'd actually called him _Mera_. Hadn't he made it clear that he preferred to hear that name as little as possible? That as far as he was concerned only being called _Skull_ was worse. Wizard realized then just how angry at him she was; just what she was angry about was what puzzled him. They'd been doing fine until just a second ago. Maybe he shouldn't have done those last moves? "Teiru?" he ventured softly, anxious to apologize for ignoring her wishes regarding Lightning Claw and fancy flying.

"Just shut the hell up for the rest of the trip, Captain-and that is also an order."

* * *

After Teiru had regained control (determinedly ignoring the questioning mutterings from the back seat's occupant) she'd set a course and flown them out into a quiet area held by the Vaccynes. Ange then converted Lightning Claw into its quasi mode and brought them down. Opening the canopy she undid her restraints and climbed down onto the scorched patch of grass they'd made. Wizard followed suit a few seconds later; mystified as to why she had decided to land in a deserted pasture that was no more a part of the 'designated flight plan' than visiting Hawk would have been. The past quarter hour she'd been unnaturally quiet and demanding the same silence from him. Other than some under-his-breath muttering, he'd pretty much honored that. Enough was enough, though; now the Datan wasn't inclined to wait any longer for an explanation. He hurried up to get beside her.

"Okay, what's wrong, Teiru? This isn't about the kid, is it? I apologized for blowing up at Tento." _And oh, had he ever!_ Viralian Pirates had tossed nicer language at him than Ange had when she'd cornered him after that scene.

"That's another pile of wet sludge to which I fully expect you to make up to Tenny when we get back." Ange turned away, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand, checking her flight gloves and otherwise occupying herself with little actions until she felt ready to relate the current reason why she was feeling so pissed off at him. "If you must know, you were humming."

Confused, Wizard tilted his head as he stared at her. That was definitely on the bottom of the list of things he would have guessed. "I was humming?"

"Yes!"

_Okay...? _He waited for some elaboration, but received none.

"I take it you don't consider me choir training material then?" Still she refused to answer or even look at him. Wizard slowly took a breath; let it out. "I don't believe this. You're in a royal snit because I like to hum when I'm flying?"

"Bullseye."

He continued to stare at her, then lifted his arms and let them fall to his sides in a gesture of defeat. "Teiru… I honestly can't think of a moment in my life when I felt more in freefall. If humming bothers you so much, why not have just said so instead of making me feel like I'm about to be court-martialed?" He got in front of her and lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet. "What are you so determinedly circling around?"

She spun on her heel to face away from him again, one hand toying with her suit's neck flap.

"When I was arguing that one William Mera should be released from custody, Vee agreed to your joining our squad; but that, and I quote: "if he so much as hums a bar of the Viralian anthem I'm going to ventilate his flight suit!"

Wizard paled. "You mean… You're saying I was humming their anthem?" He hadn't even realized...

"I wasn't certain at first, but yes and more than a couple of bars worth!"

"Teiru… I'm sorry," Wizard placed his hands on her shoulders, and then nervously retracted them fearing more of her anger. No wonder she was pissed! "It wasn't anything I did on purpose. I never even particularly cared for the sound of it, but I guess I'm one of those natural, unconsciously humming types and… well, after so many years of hearing the thing continuously fed over the Viralian base speakers it's kind of stuck in my mind."

Teiru teased her bottom lip with the edge of a canine. "I figured that, but the point is it reminded me of Dragon and what he said. You realize that your little stunt back there didn't help matters any?"

Ah. So she was really still upset about his match with Flahm? Wizard shrugged. "He won; I lost. I imagine it will be kind of hard for him to complain about that." Mera couldn't help but snicker quietly, pleased with the memory of how the big Vaccyne had gone down so easily.

"Oh, yeah… right." She whirled around and gritted her ire out practically in his face; forcing him to back up a step: "Wizard, what you did today was deliberately done to embarrass him in front of his friends. It was painfully obvious just who won that skirmish!"

"And you would rather I had triumphed the conventional way?" Green eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Or are you saying you'd rather Flahm had succeeded in cleaning my ears for me as well as insulting my family?"

"Better to lose with dignity," she huffed.

"Believe me, Teiru, I had my dignity very much in mind! I don't like just anybody touching my ears," he added in a hiss, flattening the aforementioned items against his head as if to protect them.

"Not _your_ dignity, you self-centered bastard. You, Captain, made Dragon look like an oaf. Now, Vee may not have been trained in your fancy fight steps, but he's not an oaf! He's a damned good pilot and a close friend of mine!"

"I _know_ that!" Mera snapped, hurt by her words. "That's why I chose to take the route I did!"

Her brow raised in mockery. "Ohhh… So I'm not the only one prone to jealousy. I thought those eyes of yours were looking greener than usual. For your information I think that in comparison to your little-boy impulsiveness Dragon is one fine mon!"

"Gods, Teiru, just stop it!" Wizard hunched over and counted to ten, willing the anger to fade away before something happened that he didn't even want to imagine. _Sludge! _ How had this degenerated into a shouting match? He lowered his voice to a more contrite level. "If I'm jealous of anything it's of Dragon's being able to lose."

"I _suppose_ that you just made some sort of sense right there, but I'm damned if I can see it," Ange growled churlishly, kicking at the dirt with the toe of her boot. "Must be the fog clouding my brain resulting from all the hot air you've been breathing out mixing with the chill in my blood."

It was becoming clear to Wizard that this argument was just going to keep feeding itself like some sort of self-fueling inferno unless he did something about it.

Looking around, the Datan spotted some rocks large enough to make reasonably comfortable seats and hustled her over to them. She looked up at him in wide-eyed surprise as he sat her on one of the stones.

"Listen, Teiru," Wizard said earnestly. "You remember when I said I thought I'd lost the killer mind set? Also that I'd never shot anyone face to face? Well, that's not exactly correct. I only wish I'd lost it and though I've never shot anyone point blank, I've certainly killed my fair share in hand to hand. Sludge-that's how I got nicknamed _'Skull'_ by Myotis before we ever even flew together."

Ange frowned, wondering what he was getting at. "You mean 'skull' didn't just represent being deadly?"

Wizard nodded slowly, avoiding her eyes as he knelt down beside her feet.

"It was how I killed: hard blows to the skull. Hands, feet, elbows… I know every way to bash in a cranium by using my own body that's known to Mon. When I fight hand-to hand, _really_ fight, I become like a berserker, hell, like an enraged animal. It's the way I was trained: a no holds barred; winner takes all affair. It's not terribly civil or a nice and tidy event with preordained rules of conduct and only the threat of soap bubbles up your nose if things don't turn out in your favor." His hands formed dual fists. This was not a part of his life Wizard wanted to relate, but she needed to understand or stuff like this was going to drive a wedge between them. "If during basic camp finals your trainer didn't like the way you handled yourself against your opponent-he stayed out and let the other guy kill you. I'm sure you can imagine that the presence of a Datan wasn't terribly accepted in Virulian boot camps. I _had_ to learn to slip into a killer mode without even thinking about it whether it was overkill or not. I've tried to change this but…call myself Wizard or William Mera...I get submerged by this animal mindset when emotion starts to outweigh reason. The only way I can be sure to curb the conditioning to kill or maim my opponent is by treating the battle as a joke." He made a slashing motion with his right hand right in front of her face to make sure she was paying attention. "That's it: there's no compromises; no half-ways! It's either a deadly fight for survival or it's a game of ridicule with my rivals. So far since coming to Nodestar, I've managed to view all of my encounters as the latter because truth be told," Mera grinned and made a dismissing gesture "those beer-drinking idiots who pressed me were jokes to begin with."

Despite herself,Teiru almost chuckled at that because, well, she did have to agree with him there.

Sighing heavily, her friend grew somber. "But for that moment when Flahm insulted my family. You have to understand that family is very big with Datans under Virilian control, Teiru...family is all we have to sustain us. To insult someone's family...it is one of the worst things you can do. So you see, I was ready to do more than just play a game. I was half slipped into killing mode and there was no Virilian commander with as much or more fighting experience about to force me down. Your wingmon was going to be carrion or at least have something broken that would not heal easily. You know, at times I truly do admire the mon, but not just then. Then he was but walking dead meat. And the only thing that stopped the finally click into mindlessness was you and those… damned mops." He giggled softly, then laughed outright as he recalled how fierce Ange had looked as she'd thrown him the cleaning tool. "Where did you ever get such a silly idea for settling disputes anyway?"

"Doing the occasional extra load of laundry was less expensive than hosting funerals," Teiru muttered, not yet ready to relinquish her foul mood. She was also feeling a little scared. Despite his talk of poisoned hands in the cell and the look she'd seen in his eyes at the fight today, Teiru still had brushed off the knowledge of his past as some sort of bad fairy tale setting. He didn't want to kill anymore and she had wholeheartedly believed that. But now he was saying that his past 'conditioning' could at times overrule that desire; that behind those gentle, laughing eyes lurked a wild beast that could take over when it felt threatened. Hell's fire, she'd caught glimpses of it. It existed. That brought up a question that needed answering:

Was its existence too dangerous to be kept within Server?

Wizard's ears twitched as he mused on her explanation of Vaccyne-style discipline. "That makes sense. Although the Viralians don't go much into fancy funerals anyway so for them it wouldn't be a real money saver." Daring to gaze up into her face and seeing that she still looked unhappy, Wizard tenderly reached up and ran his fingers through a lock of her hair. "What are you thinking, Gato?"

"You could try harder to be friends with Dragon," Ange whispered, trapping his hand in her own "and I'll get him to try harder to not blame you for everything the Viralians do."

He pulled back his hand. "I'm sorry, Teiru. But you see, this is all the more reason for us not to get too close. I am not the gallant hero you want to see; just a weary mon with a sleeping destroyer inside of him. And sooner or later, that fact is going to wear away your gratitude towards me. When it does…then that is when we will see just how strong our friendship is...or isn't. What I'm afraid of is who might get hurt besides just us. What if it's Patty or Tenny next time and you aren't there with a handy set of cleaning implements?"

White moonlight shone on the Vaccyne's fur, obscuring the presence of the tears that were wetting her cheeks.

"I love you, Wizard."

She leaned down to kiss him, sliding off the rock to sit in on his lap and for a moment he let her as his own hormones battled with his sense of duty. For the second time in his life, his mouth was invaded by a womon's tongue; his scalp caressed by slender hands. It felt so good: so warm, so delightfully feminine despite her forwardness and...and downright _friendly_. That probably wasn't the correct word for to describe it the still logic-holding part of his mind objected, but frankly, being kissed by a Vaccyne felt _nothing_ like it had been with Belial whose aggressive advances and massive hands had been used to intimidate him while dominating the…activity. Yet this...action he and Teiru were engaged in _-friendly though it was-_ wasn't right even so. Hadn't he sworn to protect her even if it was he that she most needed protection from? At the very least they needed to stop this now before he got her pregnant and never mind the potentiality of his poisoned aura on an infant! One thing was clear: he wasn't going to be able to stick around for the raising of a child. Teiru would lose her clearance to fly if she was carrying a baby and being a single parent without means of financial support wasn't fun. He loved her too much to do that to her or any offspring.

He was Datan; he wasn't going to behave like some slime ball _Viralian _who thought only of their own pleasure.

Wizard pushed her away.

"Teiru…"

"So keep your silly hands covered- just let me taste the rest of you; maybe clean that ear Dragon missed," Ange moaned, mouthing his cheek and moving upward.

Darn but she was making this all the harder! He pushed her away again before she could reach his ears-his terribly sensitive ears that Myotis and… others... had quickly learned how to take advantage of.

"Stop it, Teiru!"

Oh, sludge. Her eyes showed their hurt and frustration at his second rejection of her wish to make love to him.

"I thought you loved me, Wizard?" she asked plaintively.

_Oh, Teiru… If I had my wish I'd be carrying you down to Gennai and demand that he bond us tonight or else because I don't ever want to be without you; yet that's no excuse for my putting you and yours at risk._

Wizard smiled rather sadly as he touched the VAF badge on his tunic. "I guess I've absorbed some Vaccy morals despite my training, because I can't do this. This whole thing was a mistake. Tomorrow, I'll ask Major Garder for a transfer to another base."

Or better yet… just slip away quietly. He could survive as a hermit somewhere and she'd eventually get over him. Maybe even bond with that Flahm. Dragon might be a lousy street fighter but he was a good, solid Vaccy mon who'd keep her from getting hurt or die trying.


	13. Creeping Fog

Part 13: Creeping Fog

Wizard trudged towards his assigned room at the base, Teiru's last words still ringing in his ears:

"_Don't you talk to Garder just yet, Wizard. Give me a chance to think of something first before you do anything rash."_

He'd nodded mechanically and taken his leave while she had Agu check over her aircraft. If he got some sleep now maybe he could slip out before she woke up tomorrow morning.

The dorm room Major Garder had assigned him was more than he'd expected. While only half the size of his 'rented room' in Belial's quarters, he wasn't required to share it with anyone. Furthermore it was furnished pretty darn well. Mera whistled softly in appreciation as he looked around at the carpet on the floor and tile in the bathroom; real louver shutters on the windows and a desk with a PC terminal. Sure Myotis' apartment had those luxuries as well, but _his right wingmon's_ room had been bare concrete except for the pile of blankets he'd purloined from stores in order to make a floor-level nest to sleep in. (It had made Myotis laugh that after a month he'd refused to lie on a regular bed unless made to. _"You can take the Datan away from the other beasts, but you can't take the beast out of the Datan!"_ Belial had mocked him as he'd led a shame-faced Skull to the quartermaster's in order to return the cot: made him explain to the snickering Virals that he preferred to _"sleep like a dog curled in its corner than as a mon."_) At any rate, there hadn't been much opportunity to spend time sleeping in his own room anyway: Myotis had been too fond of his reluctant _blue bed warmer's_ company under ebony-silk imported sheets.

_Bed._

_There was a bed in his quarters._

Belatedly, Wizard realized that he hadn't had time to requisition more blankets here, and there was no point in doing so now for just one night. Warily, the Datan approached the twin-sized bed in his officer's studio. It looked pretty comfortable: feather pillow, thick comforter and perfectly clean.

Its presence was unnerving him no end.

Dae had been fond of beds, even more so than Belial. The doctor had a different kind for each activity. There had been hard ones, soft ones, ones with draining wells beneath… and straps. _Always_ straps. You got 'put to bed' you stayed until he was done.

No straps here. No mon easily twice his mass with 24/7 admittance to where he was. He could lie down and get back up again anytime, because this wasn't Belial's or Dae's.

"Stupid things," Wizard muttered tightly as he tentatively reached out to lay a hand on its level surface. "Just a thing… Just an article of furniture; nothing threatening about an article of furniture is there?" He slowly lowered himself onto the mattress and felt the springs within collapse a bit under his weight; laid down and closed his eyes, tried not to puncture the sides of the padding with the death grip his fingers insisted upon taking, breathed deeply to relax his tensed body.

He could do this.

He was tired and he could do this because it was just a bunch of foam and metal and wood and he was _alone_. That last was what mattered. There was no Myotis on the other side of the door ready to burst in unannounced. No Viralians at all for miles.

This place was in the middle of a Vaccyne base for the gods sake.

_Safe._

Wizard closed his eyes and started to drift into slumber. He even admitted that it felt good: fiber matting on a flexible surface was a heck of a lot more comfortable than blankets were on concrete. He drowsed for a couple of minutes before feeling the need to adjust his position a little.

The mattress springs gave tiny squeaks of protest like the whimpers of a frightened boy. Shadows coalesced into something more sinister: a beckoning dark silhouette looming over him demanded his immediate compliance.

"_William, come."_

Instantly Mera was up on his feet in a defensive position, eyes wide and lungs heaving for more oxygen. "Myotis?"

Anxious senses searched the room expecting the larger mon to be there with him, ready to grab his arm and propel him wherever his commander desired.

No Myotis.

No Viralian.

Just one, weary, disoriented Datan in an empty room… and that darn, stupid, _damnable_ bed.

A wave of frustration swept over Captain William Mera which he relieved by kicking the bed frame- thereby bestowing a sizable dent in the metal. Cursing at himself for his unreasoning fear, Wizard nonetheless tore off the sheets, blanket and comforter, grabbed the pillow, and then crossed to the other side of the apartment where he flung the items down on the floor and angrily shoved them about into a half-decent representation of a sleeping surface. With a growl of self-hatred, he threw himself unto the pile and curled up. The carpeting helped to make up for the lack of other padding and he was actually able to sleep for a little while. Still, his surroundings were strange and he found he woke up before dawn with no trouble at all if not exactly feeling terribly refreshed. At least his sleep had been dreamless this time.

After indulging in a long shower (gods knew when or if he'd ever get the luxury of hot water again), Wizard fixed up a satchel of all the non-perishable food he found in the tiny kitchenette while munching on the foodstuffs that wouldn't keep. Getting adequate sustenance on the road was going to be a problem as he suffered from a hyper thyroid condition. Best to fill up now on the edibles while he could.

It was while he was zipping up the satchel that his eyes fell on the computer terminal. Maybe it held detail maps of the wilderness area that he could use? Shrugging, (how long could it take to check?) he turned the monitor on and watched it power up. Within seconds the main screen came to life along with several advertisements for the Daily and the Messenger; the Daily being Nodestar's main news source and the Messenger being the military's.

Hmm… Ange would likely read the Messenger on a regular basis. Maybe he could leave a goodbye note there so she'd at least understand why he'd gone if not where? Mera typed in the personal password that Lt. Palma had provided him with and was allowed into the Messenger's website. He quickly found the personals section and clicked on it. The main page held the last three entries submitted along with option buttons for viewing or sending a message. He was about to click on the 'Send A Message' button when something in the 'recent' 'View A Message' column caught his eye:

HEY, IS D-0266-M LOOKING FOR A MAGICAL TIME WITH HIS SISTER?

CALL ME AT 555-3224 ext 024 BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!

_What the bloody hell!_

Nervous fingers clicked off the machine, not caring that it should have been properly closed first.

Sl**! He was being contacted by someone from Dark Forces -it had to be! Nobody on the Vaccyne side would know what those numbers meant and how they would not fail to catch his attention.

Magical was what a 'Wizard' was; sure, anybody would figure that out. And there were now a few Vaccynes who knew he had a sister and would likely be looking for her. Bay #024 was where Thunderball was docked. However, _#3224_ was the informal code for a DF team mate and not old Hawk's phone number. Being unofficial, its meaning wasn't logged in anywhere but in the minds of DF pilots who jealously kept their own made-up code numbers from everyone else.

Plus, only someone who had connections to Demon Dae's files would know that for several horrific months 'D-0266-M had been his only 'official' name.

Oh, double SL**! Was this Pied, Myotis, or the Demon himself?

His first impulse was to grab his made up pack and run like hell even if he had to steal a military plane to do it. His second impulse held more sense: he logged back in and looked up the sender's profile.

It didn't exist despite the fact that the message did.

Mera grimaced as he closed the terminal a second time and forced himself to reason this out. It was highly unlikely that one of the Terrible Triangle had come to personally fetch him back. More likely this was some flunky: a communications hacker; some Rookie slimeball that hadn't yet made the cut to any of the DF teams and had thus in the meantime been assigned to spying duties behind enemy lines. He should ignore the message and skip, but that would mean abandoning Thunderball. It would also mean he'd forever be haunted by the question of what if this really did have something to do with his sister. Was she alive? Would running endanger her life?

* * *

Back in his hideout, Lt. Demidevi heard his hand-held terminal give a tiny beep and smiled. Sure enough, within two minutes later there was a second beep.

Mera had found his message and tried to look him up. If he held true to form the troublesome Datan would take the bait.

Not unexpectedly, his phone rang. He picked it up and answered the masked voice on the other end.

_** You saw? **_

"Yep. You shepherding him along or should I expect a solo?"

_** Just be there. **_

Pico grinned as the phone went dead with a decisive click. Time to head out for Hawk's place. He spared a few moments to send a message to two others before shrugging on a heavy cloak. Its neutral-toned fabric would help to hide him from visual contact while the metal network in the weaving would mask his Viralian bio-aura. A pity it also played heck with his personal comm unit.

* * *

In a shadowy corner of one of the outlying buildings, Wizard adjusted the straps on his satchel and wondered again how he was going to get past the two gate guards without actually killing them. The sun would be up soon and with it Teiru and the rest of the daytime shift. He had to get out soon or he'd be forced to wait another day... which meant another day for Teiru to convince him to stay. No, he needed to leave now and to find out what that hacker wanted.

Movement from the one side; a lone figure driving towards the gate at a leisurely pace. Wizard pricked up his ears as he made out the aura of a fellow Datan. The driver turned enough so that the silent watcher could see the stripes on the face and hands. It was Gabu, Agu's friend. Was the gunner also leaving Serval (albeit by a more conventional means?) Mera crouched down even farther, trying not to be seen. It would be hard to explain what he was doing out here at this hour with a fully-loaded pack and he didn't want to be cooling his heels in that cell under Leo's watchful eyes until Teiru came by to wring his neck.

Gabu stopped the jeep near to where Wizard was hiding, then got out and stretched, apparently musing over the stillness of the base under the moonlight. The fingers of one hand ~the one facing the Datan and away from the guard house~ made a little gesture.

Wizard's eyes widened. Coincidence? But the furred index and ring fingers flexed again with that peculiar swerve that clearly stated, "Come on." What the heck? How could the gunner know? Yet he clearly did and was waiting for him to make a move. Shrugging inwardly, Wizard scuttled out to the jeep, making sure to keep the vehicle between himself and the guards. He slipped noiselessly into the back, discovered a dark grey tarp bunched against the seat and pulled it over his body. A second later the jeep resume its forward movement. Thin body folded neatly in the footwell of the backseat, Mera listened intently as Gabu chatted amiably with the guards, trading jibes on which service was better: air or infantry. Then they were rolling along again, the sound of the gate machinery kicking on and letting them pass through military territory and into the short stretch of empty land that separated Serval from Nodestar.

"You can come out now."

Mera slipped the tarp aside and eased into the front, eying the bigger mon warily.

"How did you know I was there?"

"A bit of deduction," Gabu said, keeping his eyes on the road. "After hearing what Teiru said to you as you left Lightning Claw, I asked myself what would be my first instinct if I were in that situation."

His passenger gave a surly grunt. "And you would run away."

"Oh no," Wolf growled low in his throat. "I'd have sense to stay close to the people who cared about me. But I was trying to put myself in your moccasins and 'run away' instantly came to mind. Had another thought as to the fate of poor Pumpkin and Gotsu out there in the guard tower and I hated the idea of having to read their obits in the morning news transmissions." He glanced away from his driving for the first time to look upon his passenger. "Strangely, I didn't think you'd like that either."

"Flatterer," Mera smirked unpleasantly while fixing the soldier with a cold eye. "What if you're wrong though; what if I'm really a double-agent ready to return to my superiors with a pack full of vital, top-secret VAF codes; one who wouldn't give a whit about having to trash two flunkies or a Beta gunner to accomplish that?"

He received an mused glance from his fellow Datan as Gabu drove them towards the hangars. "You're not."

"How would you know?" Wizard asked roughly, turning his green eyes outward to watch the city go by as he unconsciously rubbed his gloved hands against each other. He was trying to catch every last detail of the surrounding country and file it away in his memory. Mera had never really been what he would call a social mon, but he didn't particularly relish the idea of living his remaining days hiding out in the boonies either. He was going to miss this place and…well, some of its citizens. Especially one womon in particular. Gods, he hated himself for doing this to Teiru! But what choice was there? "We only just met and rather briefly at that," he muttered to Gabu. "Hell, we haven't even seen each others résumés."

"True enough. Give me your hand."

Wizard turned his eyes back to his 'get-away driver' and tensed, his hands stilling their motion. "What?"

"Your hand," Gabu repeated as he took his right hand off of the steering wheel and extended the palm to the apprehensive Captain. "Place it in mine."

"I don't—"

The gunner grabbed Wizard's hand and pulled off the glove just enough to make contact with a bit of the pilot's scarred wrist. He groaned deeply, feet jamming on the brakes as he snatched his hand back.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Mera hissed, pulling the glove back on all the way again. Why the hell did everyone seem compelled to touch him?

'Wolf' was shaking his head as if trying to clear it. "Sometimes," the stripped mon began, gulping in the late night air, "I can sense things by connecting with another mon's aura."

His passenger snorted rudely, more in frustration at having not foreseen and thwarted the gunner's move than at any real disbelief. "Parlor trick," Wizard halfheartedly scoffed. It sounded unconvincing even to his own ears. Fact was he'd experienced something of the sort himself. It had been an unnerving experience and one he hadn't wanted repeated.

Gabu gave him a piercing look. "We who share this gift should be so lucky, my brother. But at least I've had better fare with the Great Weaver of Fates than you. Ange will miss you something fierce. You should go back to Serval."

Something in the way the gunner said the last made the back of Mera's neck tingle. "I can't."

There was an uneasy pause.

"What…" Mera coughed nervously, not certain he really wanted to know. "..What did you sense?"

"Darkness."

"Ah. Well, I am part of the spawn of Virus." A feeble attempt at humor that was summarily ignored.

"Not in you," Wolf persisted. "_Coming_ for you. Do you know what it is?"

Mera thought of the message he'd read. Myotis, Pied, Dae. They were a three-headed Nightmare Beast. One was linked to the other and each had put their poisoned claws to his flesh. It didn't really matter which head had ordered the summons. It only remained what was going to happen when he answered it. "I have an idea."

"And you would face it alone?"

"The darkness wants me back. I won't have others around for it to use against me when it comes." The Datan looked his clan brother in the eye, expression fierce. "I won't have it."

_Family was family._

_The many were worth the sacrifice of one._


	14. Cloying Mist: A Meeting Between Old & Ne

Part 14: Cloying Mist

Gabu knew when to give up a lost cause and kept his silence for the rest of the drive: the pilot did not want to endanger his love in any way and who could blame him for that sentiment? Still, he wasn't happy when Wizard insisted that the other mon continue on without further discussion and leave him alone at the hangars; a wish Wolf also acceded to if reluctantly.

Climbing out of the jeep as it stopped by the fence around Hawk's property, Mera looked back at the other Datan with pleading eyes. "I didn't get a chance to leave Teiru a message. Tell her that I wish things had turned out differently? That I…" he trailed off, looking miserable.

"I think she already knows, but I'll tell her anyway," Gabu sighed. "Now you'd better go do what you feel you have to."

Wolf drove off, watching through his rear-view mirror as Wizard scaled the chain-link fence and made for Bay #24. Hawk's beasts delayed his progress a little as he stopped to pet the happily wagging 'security' dogs before slipping into Thunderball's shelter. The gunner was about to leave altogether when he spotted another military jeep drive up to the main gate, this one sported MP markings. Its lone occupant disembarked to unlock the gate and enter the compound sans the jeep.

So Intelligence was still shadowing Mera? That made sense, Wolf supposed; but why then was he getting a bad feeling in his gut?

The figure was wearing a long coat which kept Gabu from seeing who the agent was but sensed it was female. Perhaps he'd best poke his long nose into this a little more than he'd planned?

* * *

Listening intently in the dark gloom of the hangar, Wizard quietly stepped over to his plane.

"I'm here."

His voice echoed eerily within the large space. Funny how he'd never noticed that before.

The unmistakable click of a gun being cocked irritated the fine hairs of his ears.

"You came alone?"

The voice of the questioner cut through the darkness, managing to sound simultaneously pompous and whiny at the same time. Wizard grimaced as he heard it. He'd pegged it right: this was a Rookie they'd sent to meet with him. One undoubtedly pumped with its own importance while yet maintaining a healthy fear of the more experienced mon it was addressing. Rookies were an awkward lot to be sure. They were adolescents wanting to rise up fast within the ranks of the full adults, but as yet lacking the knowledge and opportunity to gain higher status.

It was that mixture of ambition and newbie-ness which tended to make them dangerous and unpredictable.

Wizard slowly deposited his satchel into his plane and lifted his empty hands hoping to ease any anxiety on the part of the Rookie. Not that his own nerves weren't bouncing off the walls of his skin. To his knowledge there was no known way for experience to stop a bullet on its course to his heart and it didn't matter how inexperienced the finger that had pulled the trigger.

"Alone and unarmed. You've nothing to fear from me."

Movement from the shadow; darkness upon darkness.

"Unarmed? Hardly, Skull. I know what you can do even if caught in the buff."

"Apparently you haven't done your homework, though, or you'd know that 'Skull' is dead. Look, let's cut to the chase," Wizard sighed, "as I'm sure we both have other things we'd rather be doing with our time right now? You know who I am (or more aptly _was_) and I don't know who you are nor care except to learn two things: What have you come to say and who sent you?"

Malevolent chuckle from his potential adversary. "I've come to give you a message from your loved one who misses you very much."

"I bet," Mera hissed. "Tell Myotis he can fuck off by himself!"

"Your sister sent me."

The figure of a Viralian teenager stepped out into his line of vision, holding a firearm. He was heavily cloaked; however, two luminous eyes glistened and a few tufts of blackish purple stuck out from within the dark cowl.

"Prove it," Wizard challenged after a moment's hesitation.

The Viralian held out a slip of paper which he flashed before secreting it away again. "I have the coordinates of your birth village."

Mera's heart leapt into his throat; yet he kept his expression deadly calm as he waited in place. It was easy to feign nonchalance since he knew that the Rookie was almost certainly lying. (Though, Guardian Gods he hoped the other was telling the truth!)

"So you say."

"She gave them to me to tell you she will meet you there. That she wants you to get her out of Viralian lands."

"I still haven't seen proof that this isn't just watered down corn syrup you're trying to feed me." The Datan shifted his stance slightly, tensing his muscles.

"What sort of proof could I give that you wouldn't say was faked?" the Viralian countered. He smiled as the older mon scowled at him. "Here is my proof then." Moving closer, he flipped the gun around and handed it to Mera. "She's on the list of experimental 'volunteers' for Dae's laboratory. That's why her need is so urgent as you might guess. You might be considered a Deleted, but she is not."

Mera was still not impressed.

"Drop the gun and kick it away."

"Not very trustful, are ya?"

"Only those with a death wish or profoundly stupid would trust a Viralian. Drop the gun and keep your hands where I can see them. Then I'll trust that I'll stand a chance should you have an arsenal of other weapons under that cloak."

The Viralian laughed and did as he was told. "Well, you aren't in the same mold as the usual stupid Datan cows. Glad to see your reputation wasn't just a bunch of sludge washing, but you'll understand my mistake considering-"

Quick as a snake Mera surged forward, doing a sideswiping kick that sent the messenger sprawling on the floor gasping as he held his private area. The hood fell back to reveal a young mon with skin almost as dark as his hair, large eyes filled with pain.

"You crazy-!" Demidevi hissed at the pilot, a wickedly-edged knife appearing in the hand not holding his crotch. "I should slice you into food cubes for those dogs!"

"Watch your mouth, kid, lest you want another kick from this _'cow'_," Wizard growled at the fallen boy. "Feel lucky I couldn't be bothered to aim for your head as well or you'd be able to suck yourself with ease."

Laughing (albeit somewhat painfully) Demidevi put his knife away.

"Since I'm assuming that I also wouldn't be able to enjoy such a maneuver, I offer my apologies for the insults. You do your Bloody Skull heritage proud."

"Shut up!" Wizard hissed, yanking the boy up by the back of his neck. "Just give me the coordinates and your head stays attached."

"Okay…okay… no need to go ballistic, they're-"

The hangar door banged open.

Mera squinted his eyes as light flooded in from the doorway, a silhouetted figure standing in the middle holding a gun at them.

"Well, well…." Lt. Palma said as she stepped inside. She kept her weapon aimed at the pair as she watched them with cool eyes. "So the fly boy was still working for the Virals after all… Poor Teiru is going to be heartbroken when she finds out."


	15. Flashes of Fear: Wizard leaves Nodestar

Part 15: Flashes of Fear  
  
Captain Ange walked up to the door of the apartment and studied the empty name plate holder affixed to it with a sense of foreboding. The plaque it was meant to hold was going to read (per military regulations) 'Captain William Mera'; although if said officer had his way it would probably simply declare 'Wizard'. Now Teiru hoped he'd just stay around long enough for the name plate to become an issue at all.  
  
She tentatively knocked on the door.  
  
"Wizard?"  
  
To her surprise, the door creaked open at her touch.  
  
"Wizard?" Ange called again, the feeling of foreboding inching up to clog her throat. She stepped into the apartment, noting absently that the computer screen was softly glowing in its spot. Not far from it, a tangle of bed linens lay crumpled on the carpet.  
  
"Wizard, are you all right?"  
  
Getting no answer, Teiru felt justified in exploring further. She entered the bedroom, knocking on the door just in case he was in but was unable to answer.  
  
The barren bed frame met her eyes; one of its supports sporting a large dent that she guessed hadn't been there when it had been placed in the room.  
  
"I told them he wouldn't sleep in it," she muttered to herself, feeling a chill.  
  
So he wasn't in at the crack of dawn; nothing to get alarmed over. Maybe he'd gone exploring the base grounds? Given his background, William probably didn't feel comfortable unless he had a detailed mental map of his surroundings.  
  
Sure…. That was it. Wizard had just gone out for a bit of reconnoitering. He'd be back any minute.  
  
Returning to the main room, Teiru's attention was once again caught by the glowing computer screen. She stepped over to the terminal.  
  
It would appear, she thought to herself, that besides maiming the bed frame her friend had decided to do some web surfing before or after taking his nap.  
  
Feeling a bit guilty but not overly, Teiru brought up the Use History function on the terminal and saw what had last been displayed on the screen.  
  
He'd been looking up the profile of someone? Besides herself, she knew of no friends that he'd cultivated since leaving the Viralians.  
  
Frowning, she hit the button for the second-to-the-last entry.  
  
HEY, IS D-0266-M LOOKING FOR A MAGICAL TIME WITH HIS SISTER?  
CALL ME AT 555-3224 ext 024 BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!  
  
Blue eyes blinked at the personal advertisement.  
  
Magical…sister…. Too late? And what was so familiar about 24?  
  
Oh… Oh, sacred sludge!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Oh… Oh, sacred sludge! Mera thought as the Intelligence officer kept her gun trained between both his and the spy's heads.  
  
Should he even bother to try to defend himself with the truth? Like a slide show recap of a mission, he saw himself sneaking out of the base, trespassing, holding a clandestine meeting with an agent of the enemy… Hell, if he didn't know different, *he* wouldn't believe his story!  
  
"Well, Captain," Palma drawled, eyeing him with a malicious smirk, "No protestations of innocence?"  
  
He offered back a somewhat skewed smile of his own. "Would you believe any?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then I'll save my breath for a talk with my lawyer."  
  
The Datan MP laughed tightly. "A lawyer? And give you a chance to sweet talk soft Azula into letting you go because it was all a mistake of sort? That it only looked like you were a spy sent to infiltrate us? That would be most inefficient, Captain, and I prize efficiency."  
  
Wizard felt ice water go up his spine at her words, spoken so very…Viralianish. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Bullets are so much a cheaper and surer method of ridding us of scum like you. The prosecution costs at the court alone are staggering. No, this way is so much more economical"  
  
Hell's bells---she was just going to shoot them where they stood?! "What of the touted Vaccyne system of fair play and justice?!"  
  
"Oh, that…" Lt. Palma snorted delicately. "It sounds nice in the propaganda literature, but other than for mollifying the masses-you understand."  
  
Actually he did----he just hadn't come to expect such callousness from the Vaccynes' side.  
  
Neither, it seemed, did the Viralian.  
  
Wrenching loose from Mera, Demidevi had apparently heard enough, for he leapt for the spot his gun lay and managed pick it up; however before he could bring it to bear on the Intelligence officer, Palma shot him. The young Viralian went down in a puddle of red, gurgling as he clutched his chest.  
  
Palma then angled her weapon to take a bead on the Captain; however, Wizard hadn't chosen to wait for her. Hurtling himself towards Demidevi, he grabbed the gun from the limp hands and rolled, fully expecting to feel bullets cutting into his back as he did so; his intent purely to give as good as he got before he died. However, he must have caught her completely off guard.  
  
Or she was only pulling his leg, for she still hadn't fired off another shot by the time he'd taken aim and pumped the trigger several times. It was far too late to recall his knee-jerk reaction, though. Dimly aware that the Hawk's security dogs were barking like crazy at the sudden noise of so many shots being fired, he watched in horror as her body was jolted by the impacts.  
  
Wordlessly, the MP slid unto the floor, a look of surprise on her face.  
  
Wizard got to his knees; he inhaled shakily as he surveyed the womon… watching the blood stains spreading steadily on her clothes his thoughts shot off in all directions.  
  
He'd shot her? He'd shot her! Oh god, what if she HAD only meant to frighten him! But she'd killed the boy! Oh, god--- he'd just killed a Vaccyne officer! It had been in self defense---she really had him believing she was going to kill him and the Vaccyne authorities would never believe the word of a Datan turncoat. Bloody, bloody hell! Ready or not there was no way could he stay now. They'd shoot him on sight as a spy or a traitor. Sludge!  
  
Scrambling back towards the Rookie Viralian, Mera hastily took the scrap of paper from the body and stuck it in his own pocket. He barely had the presence of mind to take a few extra seconds to acquire Palma's gun as well. Then he ran for Thunderball and vaulted into the cockpit, hands already reaching for the ignition controls.  
  
Someone was likely calling the authorities because of the gun shots---he had to get airborne fast!  
  
William flicked several switches and the modified Alpha fighter roared to life. Another flicker of his wrist and the plane was jetting straight up, its light armor more than adequate for protecting the owner as it made a new exit through the tin roof by kicking a transteel 'foot' through it.  
  
He'd go find his sister; bring her to safety in Vaccyne lands. Then he'd…  
  
Branded traitor to both sides of the conflict, where would he go?  
  
Wizard didn't have the faintest idea what he was going to do. Grimly, he set course for Viralian territory.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
From his hidden spot, Gabu watched silently as a brightly colored Alpha blasted out of the hangar in its quasi-mode, metal arms taking the brunt of the impact and protecting the pilot's canopy from the resultant debris. It spun around, transformed into full jet mode, and then rocketed off eastwards.  
  
"Well, that was some exit. I wonder why he was in such a wild hurry to leave."  
  
His attention was drawn back to the hangar, when two figures emerged. One Gabu recognized as the MP, the other the gunner frowned at. Vaccyne teenager his senses said, but the aura was a bit off as if it wasn't quite in sync with itself. The kid also sported new blood stains on his clothing despite the conspicuous absence of the odor that spilled blood held.  
  
But then the same was true of the VMIP officer.  
  
Blood that came without a metallic smell and a screwy aura? Something was definitely not right here!  
  
The officer seemed to trade a few words with the strange youth and then they parted company, the latter towards the woods and the former back towards the jeep.  
  
Well… wasn't that just intensely interesting? The 'wrongness' of this whole scenario had just flared all over the scanner as far as the infantry soldier was concerned.  
  
Wolf silently took off to intercept the Rookie, seeking answers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lt. Demidevi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as walked along.  
  
He was being followed?  
  
Turning on his heel, the Rookie Viralian squinted into the early morning light that was trying to pierce through the copious shadows of the forest. Was the Datan bitch double-crossing him? Feeling nervous, he reached for his hidden knife…  
  
And felt a massive arm wrap around his jugular.  
  
Before he knew it, he was being pinned to the ground by a huge Datan male sporting battle tattoos and whom did not look the least bit happy. He grunted as the hood of his cloak was roughly pulled away.  
  
"Just as I suspected---not a Vaccyne at all! Now… what's a Dark Rookie doing wandering around Nodestar having a quiet chit chat with his enemy?  
  
"Hey, I ain't doing nuthin! I got lost is all and was just trying to get back to my mates by asking some stupid Vaccy bitch the local name!"  
  
"Really?" Clawed fingers tugged on the red marked tunic visible under the open cloak. "Since when did Viralian survival techniques for getting lost behind enemy lines involve wearing fake blood capsules? Not terribly inconspicuous." Gabu pushed harder on the Rookie, who yelped in protest.  
  
"If I'm a prisoner of war, then I've got rights!" Demidevi grumbled. "Vaccyne Prisoner Accord File 01001.01. And as a minor I got protection from abuse too."  
  
Wolf grinned toothily as he replied, "Ooo…. Aren't you the little law college student. Well, listen up, bright eyes. Officially, I'm on leave. So technically, you're not a prisoner of war yet. What you are is a young punk whose about to be beaten into a bloody pulp by a thoroughly ticked off bruiser who has no love for your kind---and this time the blood marring your suit will be the real article!"  
  
Demidevi's eyes went wide as he squirmed in the Datan's grip. "You wouldn't?"  
  
Gabu pulled his massive fist back and held it before the other's face to show he would.  
  
"Okay! Okay!" Demidevi hurriedly forestalled him. "No need to get all heavy! I was merely delivering a message to one of your pilots as a favor."  
  
"Wizard."  
  
"Yeah. That's the one. His sister wants to see him."  
  
Wolf didn't change his grip or the position of his fist one iota.  
  
"Keep talking."  
  
"Eh… so's I owed the Datan bitch one and I went to meet her cheese please just like she asked. Not without some personal risk, mind, having to hike myself into your lovely land of Vaccys. But the flyboy nudged me off and after all I'd done to get to him!" Demidevi spat to the side to show what he thought of Datan social skills. "Then that gun-happy popsicle blew in and started making insinuations about my intentions. Hey---so's I played dead. I'm not stupid. Easier to play Data'd with some fake blood to keep the attacker from looking too close." He cowered back as Gabu frowned at the ethnic metaphor, "Nothing personal."  
  
"But then you rose from the dead to have a little chit chat with the… popsicle?"  
  
"Sludge sticks, mon, yes! She was going to plug me again after that other bloke left! I guess she liked me, 'cause she let me go with a warning. You should follow the example of your superiors. I'm nobody to bother with."  
  
"That story," Gabu growled, "has a bigger hole in it than the roof of Hawk's #24 hangar."  
  
And with not a little personal glee, he rendered the Rookie unconscious.  
  
================================  
End of Part 15 


	16. Lightning Strike!

Part 16: Lightning Strike!  
  
"What do you mean, you can't find him? I called the gate and they haven't seen him on base so he must be out there. Have them check Hawk's again---and this time more thoroughly than a stupid drive by! Do I have to come out there myself to see this done right?"  
  
Lt. Palma angrily listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. "I don't want to hear excuses, ensign. I want William Mera located a.s.a.p."  
  
A warm hand firmly took the handset from her and put it to his own ear.  
  
Major Gennai listened calmly to the voice at the other end of the line. "Yes, ensign, I agree with the Lieutenant. Get old Hawk to open it up for you; he'll grump a bit, but just tell him I'm asking and he'll lighten up. Major Gennai out." He put the phone back on its holder and seeing his top ace fuming in the corner gave her an inquiring eye.  
  
"This is so stupid!" Ange growled out after she'd noticed his scrutiny. "M.I. can't even find one pilot after I already told them where to look. They should have gone straight to the hangar instead of puttering around the countryside like a bunch of In-Trainings playing detective!"  
  
"It is not our fault your friend turned traitor a second time," the other womon huffed. "If you hadn't convinced everyone that he was clean-"  
  
Gennai narrowed his eyes at Palma and shook his head. Now was not the time to be slinging mud at each other.  
  
"You're hardly being fair to Lt. Palma, Captain," he rebuked Teiru. "Might I suggest you calm down? That goes for you too, Lieutenant. You'll both only make yourself sick this way." Gennai escorted the two womon to a couple of his chairs and sat them down before leaning back against the edge of his desk. "I would say that Mera is a pretty resourceful fellow, wouldn't you?" he directed to Ange. "It makes sense to do a thorough search of both Serval and Nodestar."  
  
Teiru crossed her arms defiantly as she glowered at some undescriptive spot on his desk. "Wizard wouldn't leave without telling me." She gave Palma an icy glare while continuing to direct her words to her supervisor. "It was that damned post from the news. They think he's double-crossed us, but they're wrong! That little message was aimed straight at Wizard; whoever sent it probably kidnapped him and I can just bet that scum Belial had something to do with it!"  
  
"Spoken by the one who's probably slept with Mera several times," Palma snickered in a condenscending way. "Is that how you kept so fit while with the Viralian's, Ange? Lots of excer-"  
  
"Enough!" Gennai snapped at his Intelligence liaison. He slapped the flat of his palm against his desktop. "You two are worse than two cats! We WILL keep this civil or I'll confine both of you to quarters," he glared just as hard at his pilot "---am I understood?"  
  
"Yes, Major."  
"Sir."  
  
Several minutes of strained silence.  
  
Abruptly, the phone rang. Gennai took possession of it before the others could be tempted to do so.  
  
"Gennai here. Yes? ….I see…. Very well, keep me informed."  
  
His subordinates waited with varying degrees of patience while the phone was carefully placed back on the desk by a very somber faced Major.  
  
"They're inside hangar #24 now. It appears to have developed a large hole in the roof, Mera's craft is gone, and there are several stains of what may be blood marking the floor."  
  
Ange felt her heart flutter as she gulped.  
  
"Wizard's?"  
  
"They can't tell."  
  
Teiru groaned then hit one firmly balled fist into the wall.  
  
"Damn it to digital hell! They got him! The Viralian bastards came and took him back!"  
  
"Or he shot the surveillance agent I'd assigned to keep tabs on our untried flyboy," Lt. Palma grimaced. "Baku hasn't checked in again today. Mera possibly took the body with him to dump somewhere before crossing back to his buddies at Spiral." She sighed. "I'm terribly sorry, Major; it would appear we've been screwed by a pretty face with a sob story. I'm putting myself on report for bungling his assessment so severely."  
  
Ange was livid and quickly moved to retort this continued sludging of her friend's character. "You're sure quick to condemn him, Palma---and based on some pretty scanty coincidental evidence! Wizard is not a traitor! You heard what they did to him! He'd never go back there!" She bit her lip as a possibility occurred to her. "Not to rejoin the Dark Forces, anyway." Her expression turned inward as she thoughtfully fingered the ring he'd given her. "But he may have gone back for something else."  
  
"You believe he's gone to find his family?" Gennai asked softly.  
  
Teiru nodded as she looked into his kindly eyes. "If-IF--- he in fact left of his own accord following whatever happened in the hangar, I think it would have crossed his mind. William was very worried for them, sir."  
  
"The thought has occurred to me as well."  
  
Palma blinked as she looked from one to the other in frank disbelief. "Mera went a.w.o.l. pure and simple. He left the base without permission after having some sort of altercation with his *supervisor* Ange, here," ---Teiru threw her a glare---"and now his plane is missing along with him. We really only had his word and Ange's that he'd changed to our side at all; and excuse me sir, but Ange isn't exactly unbiased about the mon."  
  
"You vouched for him too after listening to the tape," Gennai reminded her.  
  
"I vouched for the fact that he *sounded* genuine. I must now admit that he's very good at lying."  
  
Ange threw her hands up into the air. "Oh, I don't have time for this---*Wizard* may well not have time for this!" She turned on her heel and saluted Gennai. "Permission to send a scouting mission behind enemy lines, sir?"  
  
He graced her with a small smile. "Permission given, Captain."  
  
"What?!" Lt. Palma's jaw dropped. "Major you're not serious?!"  
  
"No heroics, Ange," the Gennai advised her with a grave face. "just do a quick look/see. Get in quick and get out quick. If you can find Mera and talk sense into him fine; however, I don't want you risking your life more than necessary. Save any dramatic rescues for a more organized effort."  
  
"This is insane!" Palma continued to harangue them. "Major, I protest that this endeavor would be a waste of important resources."  
  
"Protest noted, Lieutenant. Carry on, Ange."  
  
"Sir! Thank you, sir!" Teiru saluted him. She left his office, just barely curtailing an urge to stick her tongue out at the irate M.I. officer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Flying solo in Thunderball, Wizard plucked the paper he had taken off of Demidevi's body from a pocket and checked the coordinates again against his current position. At this rate he should be over his birth village in just five minutes! He couldn't believe it was going to be this easy!  
  
A fact that was beginning to unsettle him.  
  
So far he had managed to evade being stopped by a Dark Forces unit by sticking low to evade their radar. And the surrounding scenery did look vaguely familiar so it was getting more probable that the coordinates were legit. However, he couldn't get rid of that uneasy feeling that was creeping up his throat like bad stomach acid.  
  
Something didn't feel right.  
  
Well, no sense worrying too much about a random feeling now; he was almost at his destination. Just over the next hill, in fact, should be the structures that comprised the only place he had ever felt was home.  
  
The Datan pilot eagerly scanned the terrain directly ahead as he directed Thunderball to clear the small plateau.  
  
"Oh my Gods…. No."  
  
Devastation.  
  
There was a village down there alright, but one that had been firebombed almost flat. Here and there, a few blackened fingers of wood and brick still stood, but for the most part the buildings had been reduced to just so much rubble.  
  
"Oh Gods… dear Gods…. They destroyed everything…everyone…"  
  
A warning light started to blink on his panel. Dead-eyed, Wizard turned his gaze to stare at it dumbly, not really comprehending what the little plane was trying to warn him about until it was almost too late.  
  
He shoved hard on the flight stick, sending his Alpha fighter veering sharply to the left and rolled.  
  
The missile passed by so close Mera could swear he could smell Thunderball's underbelly getting singed.  
  
"DAMN!" Wizard hissed at himself as he corrected his flight just long enough to send the plane skyward. Only total newbies let shock blind them to danger like that! SLUDGE, but I am sooo frack'n out of practice!"   
  
One, two, three blips appeared on his screen---all too close for comfort. Delta-class Viralian fighters too. His little Alpha was definitely underweight for this type of match game! He had to gain altitude so as to not let them sandwich him between their planes and the earth.  
  
Feinting to the right, he started to climb-  
  
---and was nearly clipped by an intercepting blur of scarlet that moved so fast the Alpha's instruments had hardly registered it's appearance. Wizard muttered a string of curses.  
  
A red Dark Force Gamma and he didn't need three guesses to figure out whose!  
  
Either this was one hell of a coincidence---or the whole thing had been a trap.  
  
And he'd just sprung it.  
  
And like hell if he was going to go peacefully!  
  
Wizard abandoned Thunderball's climb and hit a switch.  
  
His jet started to reconfigure to Quasi fighter: the streamlined silhouette of the Alpha bending just past the cockpit, extending two legs and a pair of jointed arms. A light-weight blaster cannon (something he'd put in himself since going to Nodestar) erupted part-way from the right 'forearm'. Transformation complete, Wizard let Thunderball hang in the air, waiting.  
  
Again he barely had time to register it on the screen before the blood-red monster had returned. Wizard muttered something under his breath as he aimed at the black bat picture on the Dark Gamma's nose cone.  
  
Crimson Lightning slipped into its own quasi mode and blocked the blast with it's heavily shielded forearms. Still, the force of the blow at such close range was enough to knock it back down several lengths.  
  
"HA!" Mera shouted at the other plane, shooting again. "You think I'm defenseless? Take that! Ahhh!"  
  
Grinding of metal on metal.  
  
What the--?  
  
Wizard looked up through his cockpit to see the underside of another Gamma done in hematite silver.  
  
More grinding noise as the enemy plane's arms wrapped around Thunderball's 'torso', effectively hugging the smaller plane to itself. In fact the position of the two together could be said to be similar to that of…  
  
Mera took in a slow breath and flipped open his communications.  
  
"Belial…" he said evenly---and wondered at his own calmness---"I can't imagine who it is you're letting fly your plane; you were never that free with your toys before."  
  
The voice that came from the speakers snickered at him.  
  
"You have no idea how hard it was to give up the chance to have my own beautiful Crimson hump your plane's sweet ass rather than this dark-skinned lunk of metal. However, I plan to make up for the loss in a much more satisfying way."  
  
Wizard gritted his teeth as metal again ground against metal when the Gamma imitated the desire of its operator. Typical Myotis playing games; he was being teased with actions that the other brazenly hoped to repeat in the near future---sans the mecha.  
  
"Rule #1 is always expect the unexpected, my dear William."  
  
"As you say," Wizard agreed quietly.  
  
And hit his afterburners while straining Thunderball's nose upwards.  
  
The force sent both planes rolling backwards in a wild cartwheel.  
  
Feeling the Gamma starting to let go, Wizard wrenched Thunderball loose from its captor, again bringing up Thunderball's only defense weapon.  
  
A kick from the Viralian fighter sent him careening off balance before he could get the shot off. Already low to the ground, Thunderball went plowing side first into the remains of a building, splaying against the wreckage before it came to a stop. Lights on the Alpha's instrument panel winked out in groups as her owner moaned softly from a bumped head. A quick check verified that his plane's system was out and not likely to come back on in the next five minutes let alone five seconds.  
  
Mera wasted no time in unstrapping himself from his seat and leaping from the cockpit. He ran for the closest bit of cover around---the barely standing chimney of the building he'd rammed into.  
  
==============================  
End of Part 16 


	17. Demon Fog

Yes, this is absurdly late. No, I don't know when the next part will be. And no, this was not influenced by the real war with Iraq. I've had this part draft written for many months now. Heck, this entire story predates 9/11.  
  
================================== Part 17: Demon Fog ================================== (Dae's Correction Facility/Viral Territory: Two Weeks Later)  
  
The figure was silent and unmoving and that scared the sludge out of her.  
  
It was Wizard, that much was certain. The one they had searched for days to find, working undercover, risking death if they got caught. They had pieced together bits of information gained from the locals that indicated he was being held here, but somehow knowing what to expect did not soften the impact of actually finding him.  
  
She lowered the hood of her aura cloak in order to see him better.  
  
They were in an enclosed room with clear glass on one side that ran to about two feet from the floor which was just one large drainage grid. From the glass stuck out two glove appendages which hung slack against the wall. It was too dark to see what lay beyond the glass.  
  
Close to the glass and those gloves, Wizard's body was suspended by the wrists from an overhead chain, a few strands of sweat-dampened hair hanging limply about his neck after having escaped the confines of the hair tie. Pale skin marred by darkened bruises shone through tattered remains of clothing. His eyes were shut and the facial muscles tense as he muttered incoherently under his breath. It was obvious he was not yet aware that his rescuers were there to free him.  
  
"Oh gods..." Teiru whispered as she gently touched one discolored cheek.  
  
Eyelids fluttered open at the touch to reveal his slanted eyes of green, now bloodshot and slightly unfocused. He smiled dreamily down at her, weakly breathing her name before closing his eyes again in a return to his half-asleep state.  
  
"We've got to get him down from there," Patty gulped.  
  
"No sludge, kid."  
  
At the sound of the other's voices, the prisoner frowned then reopened his eyes, twisting slightly in order to see in Vee's direction. The large Vaccine's body was almost completely hidden by an aura cloak. "Dragon...?" Wizard switched his gaze back to Teiru, his eyes widening as if registering a truth of greater magnitude then was first thought---and terrified of the knowledge. He breathed in sharply, sending a spasm coursing through his stretched frame. "She's real? Gods... gods... no... Dragon... Get her... Out! Get her out right NOW!" He twisted violently in the chains, sending the metal links clanking against each other, trying to turn again to see Vee who had moved around the chamber searching for the controls that would lower the Datan to the floor. "Dragon?!" Mera hissed through a dry throat, "Damn it... all to... Hell, mon! Get her out... of here! Before he... comes... back!"  
  
Ange reached upwards to capture his face with both her hands, whispering soothingly to the panicking mon. "Calm down, Wizard... it's going to be okay. We'll get you down and out of here."  
  
"No... imprint shackles... there's no time!" he rasped. "Dragon, for mercy's sake... Get. Her. Out!"  
  
"Imprint shackles?" Vee hissed and said an appropriate curse word.  
  
There was the sound of footsteps and metal gears moving. Wizard swiveled his ears to the sound, swearing profusely as he struggled with his bonds.  
  
"He's here! Hide!"  
  
Vee hated to admit it, but the Datan was right--- they had no other viable option. Grabbing Ange, he dragged her beneath the hollow of the glass partition's steel foundation; Pata also hastening to dive beside them as the door behind the transteel view port slid open. They pressed themselves to the metallic surface and tried not to breathe too loudly.  
  
A light on the other side of the glass came on allowing the insides to be seen. Cabinets, a computer terminal, various papers spread over a desktop.... And a figure in a long, white lab coat.  
  
"Let me see now... Ah, yes. D266-m, I hope you had a good rest?" a kindly sounding, elderly voice spoke through the speakers. When Wizard just continued to hang boneless in silence, the grandfatherly voice tsked at him. "I do trust you aren't feigning sleep, D266-m, your ribcage is moving too much for that. You know how I despise fabrications. Come now, how are you feeling?"  
  
"How do you think, Demon?" Mera snarled as he lifted his head a little to glare at the Viralian.  
  
"My dear, Mera," the other chuckled. "Oh yes, I remember you too, how quickly time flies, doesn't it? But in any case it's no use blaming me for your predicament. Admit it, Mera, the fault is as much yours now as it was then. But you always did have a problem with learning obedience, didn't you? I must admit I've rarely come across so stubborn a creature since my old hound died. You remind me of him a lot you know? Annoyingly stubborn. Yes... I think we will have to start your training from scratch, though why the bother...." There was the sound of rustling papers. "Mmm... Belial is still insisting I take special care with you. No surprise there I suppose. I will give his request consideration. Yes... mmm... yes. Perhaps a dose of nutrients to help the body cope while we do something about the attitude." Dae jotted down some notes on his data pad. "Damaged nerve endings will require extra vitamin B. And calcium for the blood loss... mmmhmmm."  
  
A button was pushed. From one section of metal just above Teiru's head and between the gloves, a box suddenly protruded.  
  
The clear plastic arm sleeves that were attached to the partition filled out as the scientist used them to take something from within the box (which swiftly retracted) and then breach the nearly two feet of space separating him from his 'patient'. One plastic covered hand held the tip of a syringe, the chamber filled with an amber liquid. Teiru was ready to blast the scientist's arms clean off, but Dragon held her tightly, shaking his head no: Deep in enemy territory, they didn't want to be discovered if they could help it.  
  
Wizard, however, obviously knew what was coming for he'd lifted his lower body as much as he could and tried to knock the implement away by kicking at it with his legs. He missed his target, but the arms half withdrew anyway.  
  
"Do desist with this 'kicking' up a fuss and take your medicine like a good boy," Dae chuckled, "and maybe I'll let you have a nice treat afterwards, eh?" His mirth evaporated when with a determined yell, Wizard's next attempt hit Dae's right arm, sending the syringe crashing against the partition where the delicate glass shattered on impact. The Viralian hastily removed his arms, scowling as he checked his hand for glass shards. "Incorrigible. If it wasn't for my owing Belial a debt I swear I'd be tempted to put you down like any other mad animal."  
  
"Oh ... you're scaring me," Wizard spat out in gasps as his body slowly spun in midair from the force of his movements.  
  
"That goes without saying. I scare all my pets---you included despite the act of bravado," Dae asserted as he continued to check himself for injuries. He looked up and fixed his eyes on the Datan. "Your heart is hammering, your skin is clammy and sweating despite the coolness in that room. You fear me and with just cause."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"Undoubtedly. But I'm not looking for your devotion, Mera. Just obedience." Finding himself undamaged, he loaded another syringe, placed it in the box and repeated the operation from before. Too exhausted to fight it anymore, Wizard let the needle invade his thigh. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dae smirked as he withdrew the now empty syringe. "And just to show how pleased I am, I'll let you have that treat after all." The box reappeared on Wizard's side of the partition. Dae reached inside. This time the he proffered a white cube to his captive.  
  
Wizard eyed the 'treat' with disdain. "Ah... I'm... breathless... with... antici...pation."  
  
Demon snickered, as he reached to pat the tired Datan's cheek. "So you are. Now open wide for me like the good boy I suspect is lurking behind that tough exterior."  
  
Wizard clamped is mouth shut as the cube was brought to his lips. With the Demon, you never knew what kind of chemical had been added to something even so innocent looking as compressed sugar.  
  
"Don't make me come in there D266-m."  
  
Letting his gaze fall lower, Wizard considered the Vaccynes who were barely hidden from the partitioned rooms view. If Dae sent anyone in they would be discovered. He opened his mouth, using his tongue to scoop up the sugar when Dae didn't move to pop it in his mouth for him and hoped the sadist didn't wonder why his subject was giving in with uncharacteristic ease.  
  
Dae was indeed surprised. And pleased. Too damn much Mera realized with dismay as that bit of capitulation earned him some gentle scratches along a certain spot at the back of his ear--- thus depriving the Datan of his dwindling supply of dignity as he couldn't suppress the rumble of pleasure at the sensation those fingers were creating.  
  
Damn the Demon for knowing just what to do to get an involuntary purr from him! Damn the fact that the others were there to witness it!  
  
"Good boy, indeed," Dae smirked. "You're learning much faster this time. Keep it up and maybe we can cut down on some of your curriculum, hmm?" He ambled over to a wall chart and wrote down some more notes. "I'm sure Belial will be happy to get you back that much sooner."  
  
"I hope ants disassemble your flesh bit by tiny bit when you're rotting in hell."  
  
Smiling that deceptively kindly smile of his, Dae produced a key from his lab coat and used it on one of the numbered bins in the control room. "Interesting choice of words, D-266m... I swear sometimes it's almost as if you'd been reading my mind. You see, I've given it some thought and have decided that the foundation of your problem is your background culture. You're far too devoted to it, possibly even at the subconscious level."  
  
Mera growled when he saw his tormentor pull out the long weaving and hold it up, green eyes promising death to the scientist.  
  
"It's your armashink, isn't it?" Demon smiled as he held up the piece. "Excellent workmanship on this. Your sire must have loved you very much to have gone through the trouble of making a second one for you. A pity it symbolizes your past link to them."  
  
"So blasting the village and people wasn't enough?" You're going to destroy it, too?" his captive guessed.  
  
"Dear me, no--- what point would that prove?" Dae redeposited the scarf in its designated bin and locked it up. Moving back to the glass partition he placed an arm into the sanitary sleeve and captured the prisoner's chin, rubbing a thumb over the Datan's scarred mouth as he admired his past handiwork. It took all of Mera's self-restraint not to try to bite the digit off even through the tough plastic. "No, I've decided that since a physical Mark didn't dissuade you from mischief, then perhaps a psychological one will. You see, this time to get out of here you will earn you Mark by destroying it yourself."  
  
Mera's blue skin turned violet with fury.  
  
"Piss off!" Wizard jerked so that his body was sent swinging out of the scientist's grasp so as to throw kick after kick at the partition.  
  
Cruel eyes dispassionately considered the furious mon swaying and kicking futily before him until the burst of adrenaline was over and Mera was motionless again except for his labored breathing.  
  
"Mmm, yes... I'd say that struck a deep chord. You realize that the longer you stay defiant, the more you and I will get to play together? Surely you aren't that fond of the idea of seeing my black face every afternoon?" He again reached in to hold Mera's chin. "I, certainly have more interesting things to do with my time then to be devoting so much of it to your blue one. Your depths I've already plundered; I know how to make you scream your lungs out..."---light touch to the lips--- "or induce sounds of pure pleasure." Wizard grit his teeth as the hand ghosted over his ear, but desisted from doing anything more than that before pulling away as Demon stepped back from the partition and picked up a clipboard full of sheets to study. "You're not the beginning and end of my world, you know. I leave such an obsession to Myotis. Speaking of whom, that officer is allowed visiting privileges here, so don't delude yourself by thinking that staying with me at least spares you from him. Think about it, Mera. Twenty-four hours between the two beings you loathe the most, or that same time the property of one who is on duty call at all hours. The second would be much more comfortable a situation for you, I'd warrant. And all you need to do to attain that lesser hell is to rid yourself of your birth heritage: By unraveling the threads one by one and depositing them in the fire."  
  
The door softly clicked shut as the Demon left.  
  
----------------o------------------  
  
No sooner was Dae gone than Teiru went was up and over to peer into the captive's face.  
  
"Wizard?" she asked worriedly, caressing his face. His tired eyes fixated on hers. "NOW will you get out?" He saw the corners of her mouth stiffen and wanted to groan in frustration. "I didn't slog all this way just to give up now." The Datan sighed wearily. She needed to see reason and they hadn't much time. "Teiru, you can't rescue me—not without the key to the imprint shackles. And even if you had it I've undoubtedly been drugged with a soporific, so you'd all end up carrying me during the escape. Dae's 'attendants' will be here soon. Please... just go."  
  
Teiru looked back at Vee who gently took her arm and pulled her away.  
  
"Imprint shackles can be rigged to do any of a host of things, Captain. None of which are pleasant for the wearer. If we are going to get him out of here then we have to get them off of him first and to do that we must have the key."  
  
"And that could be anywhere," Patty mused.  
  
"No... it won't be. Demon has it on him." Teiru looked back into the blocked off part of the lab. The lights had gone off again in there so she was unable to see in and they hadn't been able to actually see the Demon from their hiding place---; but she had logged his voice in her mind. She'd find him. "Such a controlling personality... and with such an important person as Belial so keen on Wizard's captivity... he wouldn't trust to keep it anywhere less."  
  
"Maybe," Patty sighed as he scratched an itch on his chin. This place was giving him a serious case of the creeps and that made his skin itch with nervousness. "But by the same reasoning Belial might have insisted on keeping it."  
  
"I don't think so. The... things belong to Demon. His toys," she ground her teeth at the word. "He didn't strike me as wanting the kind to share."  
  
Vee grunted in agreement. "It's a start. Question is... how do we get to our good maniacal medico? We don't even know what he looks like other than by his own words he has a black face."  
  
Teiru glanced up and saw that Wizard's eyes were heavily lidded and had a glazed look about them. Whether from a drug or his wounds, their main source of information was out like a light. She sighed. "Then we find a computer terminal for Patty to hack into." 


	18. Flashback of capture

Important Author's Note: I just realized I made an error when uploading my last chapter: I uploaded what should have been #18 and did not upload this chapter at all. So I'm going to put it up now as a sort of flashback/drugged dream of Wizard's. Later on I'll have to fix it so they read in the proper order. ....................................  
  
Wizard cast about the remains of the home, looking for some sign of life. He accidentally kicked a charred doorknob and stifled a gasp at what the jarring pain that went through his leg at the impact. He'd injured it either during the crash or after jumping from the cockpit--- he wasn't sure which. The doorknob rolled until it bumped into more useless debris.  
  
There was nothing. Everything here had been blasted long ago---at least two years given the amount of wild growth encroaching upon what had once been an active Datan town. Was this how Pied had decided to ensure the memory of William Mera was put to rest: not through some iffy amnesia drugs, but by murdering an entire village? Of course, he realized sourly, they were only Datans. Expendables to someone like Major Pied. He took another look around the devastated landscape and felt sick.  
  
There was no one to rescue. Nothing that was alive or inanimate to take back and remember his more innocent past by. It had all been a trick---- his sister and parents were surely as dead as the rest of the village.  
  
The roar of a Gamma-style jet engine sounded above him, descending rapidly. He limped over to the side of the building.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Mera peered through a crack in the wall expecting to see the enemy pilot coming in for a landing and was not disappointed---if that was the right word for it. Typical of Myotis to take his time finishing a kill once the prey was down.  
  
The sadistic bastard.  
  
Pulling out his automatic, Wizard cast about for some sort of cover that was not just as likely to fall on top of as protect him; but there was nothing suitable to be had and the fighter plane was already configuring to quasi mode anyway, the jets of its 'feet' kicking up dust and ashes. Turning to face the Dark-class fighter, the Datan vacated the bombed home and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He aimed his weapon at the dark cockpit, heart leaping into his throat as he heard the mechanism for raising the cockpit shield come into play. Within seconds, the pilot could be seen shutting off his jets.  
  
Even with the Viralian flight helmet's heat shield down, William Mera had no trouble recognizing the pilot just by the way he moved himself: It was unmistakably 'Bloody Nightmare'.  
  
Oh... Hell. Dirty, flaming, freezing... Hell.  
  
The pilot pushed something on his helmet, and the darker cover of his helmet slid back to reveal a blond Viralian with aristocratic features and a nasty smile plastered on his face as if he knew exactly what the other was thinking.  
  
"Well, well, well.... Look what the wind brought back. Hello, William, so glad to see you. Or is it still 'Wizard' your sticking to? Tell me, how is your gato-tempered girlfriend?"  
  
William's eyes widened at the word 'gato', but kept the automatic's pointed level with the pilot's head even though he knew the transteel of the faceplate was of a bullet-proof design: he'd need at least a heavy-duty power rifle to shatter it. Did Captain Belial know that Teiru was involved in this?! Was she all right?!  
  
"Hello, Myotis," the former wingmon returned icily. "Sorry I can't say I feel the same about seeing you. As for my name change," he gestured with his chin at the remains of his birth village. "You and Major Pied kind of had a hand in that. It was by your decree---not mine---that Captain Mera was to be buried."  
  
Bloody Nightmare looked about as if noticing the surrounding carnage for the first time. "So we did, although it was the Major who decreed all of this destruction. You know I abhor waste," Belial said, continuing to smile. "Well, now that the pleasantries are over with, I suppose its time you surrendered to me."  
  
"Looks that way to you, does it?" Wizard snidely replied as he kept his stance. "You know my troubles with Pied started because I failed to pull a trigger. Myotis, you of all mon know I never was one to make the same mistake twice. It wasn't allowed."  
  
He shot two bullets at the Dark Force plane's fuel line only to have one of the robotic 'arms' deflect the tiny missiles away from that vulnerable spot and send them harmlessly off into the field.  
  
"Yet you seem to have forgotten who taught you the best place to shoot at on an enemy plane. Don't make me ashamed for having cho--"  
  
Spinning to the left, Wizard fired off two more shots which hit dead center on a critical wiring box, but his cry of success died in his throat as nothing happened. The Dark Forces fighter plane didn't so much as develop a tremble.  
  
Sighing, Belial tapped the side of the cockpit in a bored manner. "I had that weak spot reinforced last month. My dear William, you always did have a penchant for stubbornness in the face of the inevitable. At times, I found the quality endearing..." he grimaced "This is not one of those times. Stop procrastinating; I have already wasted hours of my life on account of your childish behavior."  
  
"Have I actually progressed to child status in your eyes, Myotis? I'm flattered. Here I thought you still saw me as a dog, changeable from attack to lap variety depending on your whim. Am I supposed to feel guilty now and come whining to you for forgiveness, tail tucked behind legs---or shamefaced like a tot?" Wizard asked as if the question was laughable. "Well, newsflash! Your lap dog has developed rabies and is anxious to rip your throat out."  
  
Belial snorted. "Actually, if you did surrender peacefully---and I truly believed the act wasn't being done in mockery---then rest assured that your bones would join the rest of the debris that haunts this place. You know I don't tolerate weaklings. So come and show me those teeth of yours! I'll try not to knock out the front ones." He cocked an ear as they both heard a distant droning. "Do you hear that, William? It's the rest of my squad come to report back to me. Poor mon, you've been out of the loop for so long. Do you want to hear the latest scoop of the war? Seems that the Vaccynes' top fighter pilots were shot down and destroyed and their newest convert lost. Such a tragic blow for their side, don't you think? Their leader was such a pretty thing too, but I believe you already knew that."  
  
Teiru! The bastards had killed Teiru!  
  
Wizard felt something inside of him snap.  
  
"Bel-li-AAALL!" he roared, flinging his empty gun at the cockpit as he rushed the plane and agilely avoided its arm. Myotis ducked as the metal hurtled past him, but the Datan was using the time to leap up the side of the plane and scramble for the Viralian inside.  
  
Releasing himself from the harness just in time to meet the crazed Datan, Myotis blocking the punch sent his way. However, Wizard's actual target was not the Captain's jaw but the front of his flight suit which he grabbed and with a burst of adrenaline yanked them both off of the plane to fall unto the ground below.  
  
For a minute they traded and blocked each other's blows, Mera careful not to let Belial get a grip on him; his former wing leader couldn't match him for quickness or grace, but had too great an advantage in both height and weight. He felt his fist connect most satisfactorily with Belial's nose and smiled as the big Viralian grunted in pain. A pity the Viralian had turned his head at the last second to avoid letting the blow turn lethal. Still, it had to hurt!  
  
Cursing, Myotis shoved the Datan away, receiving a kick to the gut as they separated.  
  
"I... I see you haven't totally forgotten how to fight," Nightmare gasped out. His voice sounded funny and he was clutching his stomach as he got to his feet. Belial used the back of his hand to wipe away some of the blood oozing from his nose from torn cartilage. "Nice to know my trainee retained some skills while with the Vaccynes; I was concerned you'd turn soft."  
  
"I'll show you soft!" Wizard hissed, jumping into the spinning kick that had laid waste to many a Nodestarian bully. However, this was not an ignorant civilian opponent and Belial ducked while reaching up and grabbing the Datan's ankle in a vise-like grip then gave it extra momentum while at the same time pushing upwards.  
  
Wizard went crashing unto his back, rolling into time to avoid a hard blow to his sternum, but falling prey to the same kick he had tried earlier as he attempted to rise to his feet.  
  
Belial pinned him down by sitting on the Datan's hips and grabbing his arms, the Viralian suffering a sock to the jaw before he could sufficiently capture the smaller mon's wiry appendages.  
  
"Well," Myotis grinned as a trickle of bloody gore dripped down from his chin unto Wizard's neck, "that was fun. But the gang's all here so our personal playtime will have to be cut short for today. Let's save some of that robustness for tonight, shall we?"  
  
Surprised, Wizard turned his head to see that two more Viralian fighters had landed and their pilots were disembarking, the sunlight glinting off pewter-hued metal. He'd been so intent on knocking the stuffing out of his nemesis that he hadn't even heard their landing just a few yards away. The ex-DF pilot squinted into the glare and recognized the dark-skinned red- head as Lieutenant Phanto who had been promoted to Belial's right wingmon after Mera's 'dismissal from duty'; however, the other one was new to him. He was small---surely no more than a Rookie, Wizard guessed---with black hair and a boyish face that held crafty eyes.  
  
"Robbing from the cradle again I see?"  
  
Myotis smirked as he dragged Wizard to his feet and held him while Phanto bound the Datan's wrists and ankles. "Oh, you mean Ensign Demidevi? Don't be jealous, William---he's only here to spy on me for Major Pied. Seems the Major wants to make sure I sequester you in the military base for trial and not in some private villa."  
  
"Trial? For a non-existent mon? Are you going to have me deleted a second time?"  
  
"There are worse things than deletion, William---as you should know well enough."  
  
Wizard swallowed hard. He did know. Demon Dae was always asking for 'more permanent' volunteers for his experiments.  
  
"Now, don't fret, little William," Myotis whispered into his ear, "I'm sure I can convince old Pied to let me keep you in a much healthier state of being."  
  
"Am I supposed to see that as the better future?"  
  
Belial laughed as he accepted a handkerchief and carefully wiped his face. "As dryly sarcastic in the face of ill winds as ever. Oh, I am so glad to have you back, William---you always did brighten my day." He turned aside to prepare his plane. "Do me the pleasure of tossing the luggage into my trunk, Lieutenant?"  
  
Phanto grunted, roughly hefting Wizard's bound form over his shoulder to sit him in Crimson Lightning's copilot seat. He fitted the oxygen and communications gear around the Datan's head, ignoring the glare from the jade-colored eyes as he secured everything into place. Meanwhile Demidevi was whispering some information into the Captain's ear.  
  
"What?" Belial growled, pinning the ensign with a baleful stare.  
  
"We couldn't help it---the leader was too skillful to lock onto."  
  
Belial shushed him and gestured for the youngster to get into his own plane.  
  
So Teiru's diversionary squad had managed to escape ambush? But at least he had succeeded in getting the bigger prize---at least as far as he was concerned. White 'Lightning' would surely feel the blow of Crimson's some other day. Still, there was no need to let his captive know that his Vaccyne comrades were alive. A wicked grin spread over the Viral's face as he turned on the jets of his plane. "It also wouldn't hurt to show them how badly they'd failed---and at the same time, give Mera some early punishment for taking off in the first place.  
  
Rising vertically into the air, Belial kept his craft in quasi-mode as he turned its nose to face the battered Alpha scout.  
  
"You know, William..." he said causally over the microphone as he powered his guns..."I really don't believe that you'll be requiring that thing anymore."  
  
Wizard gasped into the vocal piece when he saw what Myotis was aiming at. "Thunderball?" Heart in throat, he began to plead for the little Alpha's continued existence. "No, Myotis! DON'T DES--!"  
  
The attempt was for naught as the end of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of a hail of missiles tearing into the little plane's fuel tank. Belial sent his own craft into a quick reversal as the fireball bloomed outward.  
  
"Poor Thunderball," the Viralian said in mock sympathy. "More like 'Scrapheap' now. Let this be a last lesson to you. Never take my largess for granted again. Everything you had or have was given to you by me---and I have the right to take it away at any time. Comprehend that, William?"  
  
"As you say... Captain," Wizard gritted out. Everything was gone now: His freedom, Thunderball... Teiru. Oh, Teiru! Hot tears ran down his face.  
  
"You forget that you are no longer part of the military. Call me by my proper title."  
  
"Bastard?" Mera shot back, but tiredly. He felt absolutely exhausted.  
  
Myotis chuckled. "Hmm...'Master Belial' or just plain 'Master' will do I think."  
  
Wizard snorted, unwilling even in defeat to keep his true sentiments towards his captor to himself. "Pig's eye."  
  
"You'll get used to it, Little William. It's not like you have a choice. I will be the one doing all the choosing as far as you are concerned."  
  
Wearily closing his eyes, Wizard leaned his head against the side of the cockpit and willed himself die. But naturally, the gods didn't listen to a Datan's prayers and he merely fell into a restless sleep. -------------------------------------------------------------- 


	19. Claustrophobia

Lieutenant Tento growled under his breath as he tried another series of combination letters only to have the screen flash 'Access Denied' for the hundredth time. Finding the main floor layouts had been easy; the basement level with its cells and torture chambers took just a bit longer. Cracking into the file holding the upper most level where the private offices should be was proving more difficult. The vaccine smirked just a little as his fingers danced over the keyboard. Apparently Dae valued his privacy higher than anything else. He'd get the combo soon though. In fact if he didn't have to worry about a horde of angry Viral security men bashing down the door and giving him a real life visual of that basement... this would have been fun.  
  
No sooner had the thought ended when the door was yanked open. A nervous Tento nearly jumped out of his chair, but managed to keep from bumping his head on the edge of a wall utility box. Keeping the contents of his bladder where they were had been a closer thing.  
  
"Hell--!"  
  
"Scare you, Tenny?" Flahm chuckled humorously as Teiru and Patty crowded inside the small storage utility space where the computer tech had set up his laptop. There was barely room enough for all three to stand while Tento stayed sitting on a box with his sitting upon another one. The laptop screen supplied the only lighting. Flahm shut the door behind them then kicked the towel he had dislodged back into place so that it covered the crack between the door and the floor. Masking tape was hurriedly put back into place around the rest of the doorway.  
  
"What do you think?" Tento huffed back. "You made me almost put a skylight in the ceiling." He divided his attention between his compatriots and the screen, frowning when he realized that none of them looked happy nor was there the expected addition to their party. According to the files he'd hacked into so far, their target was scheduled for a session in Lab 4 which should have just ended five minutes ago. "Wasn't he there?" the young mon asked in a worried tone.  
  
"Yes," and Tento flinched at the rancor lacing Teiru's voice. "And please tell me you've found Dae's quarters so I can personally go up there and--!" Her tirade ended abruptly when a large hand landed on her shoulder and gave it a warning squeeze.  
  
"Quieter, Captain..." Flahm gently scolded her. The walls of this room aren't that thick."  
  
Patty quickly filled Tento in on the situation and the need to find Dae's quarters so they could quietly relieve the doctor of the needed key; so much for a quick in/out operation liked they'd hoped. Of course they'd all known that just walking in and out of such a place was not likely to be easy.  
  
"Okay, I'm working on that now," Tento nodded. He tried not to think too much about what he'd just heard. It made him both scared and angry to learn that his idol was being tortured. He grunted as a symbol on his computer blinked at him... then grinned at it. "Ask and you shall receive with backup files. I got the water and electrical layouts."  
  
Instantly the lieutenant had so many bodies bumping against his back he had to make a grab for his laptop to keep it from being knocked over. "Whoa—give me a little space, will you?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Flahm backed up, inadvertently stepping on the toe of Patty's left shoe, making the latter wince. The second gave Patty an apologetic shrug. Teiru took advantage of their shuffling to move in closer.  
  
"What's that?" She pointed at two areas that were larger than the rest of the rooms with several water and electrical end points.  
  
Flahm peered closer at the screen while Tento magnified the schematic of one so as to better read the text. "Internet access points.... Tidepool outlet access?"  
  
Paddy laughed. "They make fancy bathtubs. That's got to be Dae's suite!"  
  
"Or the other one is," Teiru grimaced. "I don't know about the Demon, but Belial is quite the hedonist." Patty's laughter died quickly as he recalled the audio taped session with Wizard.  
  
Teiru bit her lip as she considered the schematic. "One is a guest suite—probably for the likes of Myotis or other visiting dignitaries to this sweet little sanctum. The other must be Dae's personal area. We just have to find out which is which."  
  
"Easy as flipping a coin," Flahm muttered as he straightened up and turned to face his commander. "Problem is... if it lands on the wrong side, we could be looking at Myotis's ugly mug rather than Dae's."  
  
"So I get to blast his first then," was Teiru's cold reply.  
  
"You realize, of course, that his retraining may well take far longer than last time's?" Dae's silken glove slid easily from Myotis' leather one as the two stared at each other after a quick and per functionary greeting. Belial had his habitual smug air wrapped firmly about him ever since entering the Dae's personal office, but the doctor was not impressed by the man cocky demeanor. When the Demon turned aside his gaze it was merely to pull a file from a cabinet and started perusing it. One would think he'd suddenly forgotten that Spiral's most murderous flying ace was just feet from him and looking none to happy. Myotis glared at him for the denial of homage he saw as his due. "It's no use tossing visual reality daggers at me, Belial. Thanks to your ineptitude in keeping 266M in his place from the start, the mon has experienced a second taste of feeling... shall we say misplaced superiority? He now imagines he is above us all."  
  
Myotis bit back a scathing reply and instead gave the scientist an oily smile—right before placing the tip of a switchblade into the file Dae was holding. "Then I will help him remember how to be properly underneath me."  
  
"No doubt," Dae returned, calmly putting the file down before giving Belial his full attention, "seeing as being on top is your preferred position in everything you do. What is it you want, Myotis? I, for one, am a busy mon and have not time nor taste for wasting it on polishing your ego."  
  
The fighter pilot chuckled as he lifted an elegant eyebrow. Dae never was one want to tolerate time-consuming banter or kowtow. The intellectual bastard considered himself above such things. Or so he professed. In Myotis's opinion, the older mon was just as vain and preoccupied with his own image as anyone else. "You have to ask?" He was rewarded with a fleeting look of disgust.  
  
"Thanks to your unbridled enthusiasm in regaining your pet, Belial, I'm afraid the specimen is as yet in no shape to entertain your baser cravings."  
  
"And you accuse me of having a puerile mind. I merely desire access to his cubicle to... keep him company. Maybe read him a bedtime story."  
  
"Spare me your flippancy."  
  
Dae locked eyes with Belial for a moment before giving in. Reaching into a pocket he removed a tagged key and tossed it towards the flier's eager hand. Belial snatched it out of the air.  
  
"Thank you." He eyed it for a moment then jiggled it between his index finger and thumb. "Ahem?"  
  
"The cuff key stays in my possession. If you are so determined in this preoccupation of yours I'm sure you will be able to come up with some creative solution. Think of it as a strategy exercise. Just remember that any damage will only delay my releasing him altogether. This war of wills your presence fosters only makes 0266M more stubborn in resisting his treatment."  
  
"Oh well..." Myotis strode to the door with keys firmly encased in a fist. The sound of clunky boot soles slapping against tile loudly proclaiming his eagerness to be away now that he had what he'd come for. "...such are the trials of Life."  
  
"By the way...?" Dae's voice stopped him before Belial closed the door. Myotis stuck his head back in. "All the guest rooms here save mine are video taped for the medical records."  
  
Myotis smirked at him. "In that case I expect you to save me a copy."  
  
----------o-------------  
  
Clouds... miasma...smoke... had he crashed? Things felt off center in his minds; thoughts disjointed. Probably shock. Funny, he didn't remember even being up in the...  
  
Water? Had he crashed over water? Something wet was coursing over his skin. Or maybe it wasn't water. Maybe it was blood. And there was a chill. If he went into shock in his downed plane over water...  
  
He had to get out of here.  
  
Wizard opened one heavy eye and then wished he hadn't.  
  
He was strapped into one of Dae's special 'wet' beds, designed for dealing with more copious liquids that the victims body might exude during a particularly messy session. The angle of the top half was elevated just enough so that he could see the length of his body. His clothing had been replaced with what was essentially a thin gown that opened in the front. Currently it was open quite wide and the edges of the cottony fabric were darkened by moisture.  
  
That certainly explained the chill he was feeling.  
  
Shit.  
  
tbc  
  
I wasn't going to end it here, but am unsure of the rating if I took it any further. Not being a movie goer, I have only FFN's rating menu to go by andwant to avoid an R rating as R-rated stories are such a hassle to locate in FFN. So might make any continuation of Myotis's taunting of Wizard a seperate chapter for there as Myotis muse is not one to hold back and so any action/dialogue will definitely get to hairy for PG-13. shrugs  
  
Also, added missing ending to Demon Fog chapter. 


	20. Bitter Torments

20: Bitter Torments

Lt. 'Darts' Devi paused outside the door that his wingleader had exited some while ago to 'interrogate' his prize prisoner, gnawing on his lower lip. The Viral stared at the exit for a moment in indecision.

Belial hated to be interrupted when he was enjoying himself and the information the Lieutenant had might be construed as being merely personal in nature as it dealt with a blood relation. On the other hand, it could be important and Bloody Nightmare would be livid if something came of it and he wasn't told in advance. So it was reasonable--if still possibly suicidal---that Belial should be told the news by his second. What if he didn't tell him directly, though?

The problem was that with Mera---no, the deleted one, Devi quickly corrected himself---back in custody, Captain Myotis Belial had his preferred toy once more. That left a certain elder rookie viral in a less favorable position then before as he was again just Belial's partner in the air.

Making up his mind, Lt. Devi discarded the idea of seeking out his leader for a face-to-face as it would be prudent to keep some distance between them if he guessed wrong and he wanted to live another day. He quickly hit the signal button on the two-way radio. The wait was short before his leader's irritation made itself known.

"Lieutenant, did I not _specifically_ tell you I was not to be disturbed for any reason other than a full-scale attack?"

Lt. Devi unconsciously stiffened his back. "Yes, sir."

"Then there is no problem with either your memory or your hearing. You have exactly five seconds to tell me why I shouldn't gut you at the next convenient opportunity."

"Sir, Lt. Demi Devi is missing in action." There was a pause from the other end during which time Lt. Dart Devi sweated bullets.

Back in the guest suite, Myotis glanced at the injured Datan lying helpless before him.

"Your brother ?"

"Yes sir."

Belial frowned, mulling over whether this was significant or not. Although Lt. 'Darts' Devi was a competent Viral for an older rookie and decent as a bed partner, his younger brother the spy, 'Demi' Devi could be as irresponsible as he was malicious. Not that Belial minded maliciousness when directed to anyone other than he. It was not the insignificant Viral that was important so much as the circumstance of his missing.

"Dead or captured?"

"Unknown. He did not report in after meeting with the deleted one."

"Likely the rat is dead drunk somewhere, but keep me informed in case we need to shut his mouth permantly. Belial out."

"Will do, sir," Lt. Devi agreed and signed off. If his younger brother smirched the family's reputation, Darts would wring his neck personally.

"Trouble in hades, Myotis?"

Belial gripped his captive's damaged leg. "It's not polite to listen in on a superior's conversation." He squeezed the sprained joint before letting go quickly, not wanting the Datan to go unconscious.

Wizard gasped at the pain, but couldn't resist wheezing, "Next time I'll ask to be excused then." Belial smirked down at him, laying a teasing hand on the other's inner thigh and letting his fingers casually trail upwards, pausing only to fondle wherever their owner wished.

"It was nothing particularly private, my pet," Belial assured his prisoner. "Nor so important as to delay our time together more than it already has. Now then, just lie there for me. I want to feast on your exquisite emotions."

Wizard fought down any more outward reactions until they came to rest on his ears. As usual the purrs were forced out of him followed by the rush of blood to his face that colored everwhere but the scars. Part of the Datan marveled that no matter how many indignities he was put through, being manipulated into purring always made him blush. He hated it if for no other reason that his enemies took such delight in his distress at being unable to control these two physical reactions.

Pale blue fingers were now entwined in the damp blonde hair; some still massaging the ears while others tugged with increasing pressure on the silken strands until tears of pain slowly leaked down. Their descent was stopped by thumbs massaging them back into the darker skin. After a few minutes, the hands stilled, Belial appreciating the last bit of aural eroticism as it fell silent before speaking again.

"Look at me, pet." Wet emeralds gazed back up, their depths holding a cauldron of hurt and hate. "Beautiful," Belial murmured, revelling in the sight. "My gorgeous, delicious, irresistable, William. Kissed with eternal youth, yet temper distilled by the very fires of the phoenix. Do you know, I've always believed that you were purposely crafted especially for me as a a lowly Datan rather than as a Virus by the God of War so that I could possess you utterly." Belial smiled at Mera's raised eyebrow. "Oh yes, where else could such a heady package of contradictory ferociousness and vulnerablility come from but from a god who knows my desires? And every exquisite morsel of you is mine." One hand gripped Wizard's jaw while the other slipped behind his head to hold it immobile. "It was so very naughty of you to run away and deprive me of such pleasure. The agony placed on you today is but a mirror of what you visited upon me. How I've ached to plunder your depths as before."

That was all the warning Wizard got before his mouth was invaded by a demanding tongue. He fought to breathe around the alternating flicking and lathing of of the alien mass, sure that if Belial started on his ears again he'd asphixiate. Yes, and wouldn't that be a blessing? After all, this was only Belial's idea of an appetizer before the main meal. His old patron was nothing if not creative in his sadistic hedonism.

Respite came in the normally unwanted voice.

"Myotis?"

With a roar, Belial straightened up, his right hand descending on the intercom as if planning to pulverize it down to it's basic molecules. How dare it interrupt him a second time?

"WHAT THE BLOODY _FREM_ IS IT NOW?!"

Dae's voice chuckled back at him. "Dear me, Myotis, you really should not strain your voice like that. What if you came down with laryngitis?"

"Dae..." Myotis sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. "Practice medical advice on someone else. I'm somewhat busy."

"Yes," the doctor's voice drawled, so I've been seeing. May I remind you that my patient is not yet up to a full dose of your idea of playtime?"

Belial switched his stance so he could look at the survelliance camera on the wall. "He seems to be doing fine so far," he snorted, "and you know I'm hardly embarrassed by your voyeurism, Dae." The pilot licked his lips, subtley juting out his pelvis to display just how much someone's watching did not disturb his libido. Not so subtle was blatantly cupping a hand over Wizard's genitals. "And I remind you that though you have temporary access to everything else, these--"

"Yes, yes, the sexual bitch--bits are all yours. While I'm sure the vid would sell excellently on the bestiality market, criticing your performance or that of your 'Gift from the Gods' is not why I called."

Myotis gave a wolfish grin, having caught both Demon's verbal error and slightly huskier tone. Deny it all you want, Dae, he thought. Watching us turned you on. Too, bad for you. I'm not sharing.

"Slip of the tongue, Dae? As long as you don't _slip_ it in somwhere that it doesn't belong..."

"General Pied desires your presence. Apparently, something has happened of a delicate nature not meant for other ears."

Disappointed that Dae was not willing to verbally spar, Belial merely grunted, "I'll take it on my private channel then." Meaning his plane. Dae got to listen in on enough 'private' conversations as it was.

"Of course," Dae's voice concurred. "Since you will be absent for some time, I trust you won't mind if I begin another session." The intercom clicked off.

Back in his lab, Dae pondered for a moment before opening the locker holding the scarf. It was really too soon for another session yet. However, the doctor found the idea of visiting Mera now a bit too tantalizing to resist. He removed the weaving and headed for the Captain's suite. On his way there, he noticed some clearance low-level virals in waste-disposal suits with cleaning equipment disinfecting the floor and walls. Some of their tools were propped up against the wall, waiting to be used. Mind intent on what lay within the room, Deamon did not pay them much mind. Being a stickler for sanitation, the building was often swept for contaminates on his orders. It wouldn't do for some odd sickness to befall his 'patients' and delay his work. His fingers quickly pushed the relevant buttons on the keypad that allowed him entry into every room in the facility.

Upon opening the door, Dae saw only Mera strapped to the table. Myotis had already left; but not, however, before securely doing up the captive's covering. Myotis really could be quite childish at times with his teasing then denying.

"There you are, D-0266-M. I trust you are feeling well enough to feel uncomfortable?"

The door click shut.

--------o-------------

Out in the corridor, the disquised Dragon had seen the approaching viral coming towards them with a handwoven purple scarf in one hand and sporting a face as black as night. He immediately turned so that no one could see him grab his 'fellow maintenance worker' by the arm. Not a moment too soon, too. Teiru tried to yank her arm out of Flahm's grip its unyielding presence being the only thing that kept her from charging forward to kill the enemy. Grimly, Flahm held her back until the door closed.

"That was the Demon!" she hissed at him. "He's with Wizard!"

"Yeah, I kinda figured it was him," Flahm nodded. "Let's not blow our cover just yet though." Teiru took a calming breath and nodded; he let go of her arm.

"Sorry, Dragon," Teiru apologized. "It's just the thought of that creep being alone with Wizard for even a second..." She sighed. "Tenny?" Tenny walked over to the mop they'd left propped by the door to the suite.

"I got it," he smirked, removing a miniature camera from the mop head. The press of a couple of switches showed it had worked perfectly, giving him a side-ways view of Dae's fingers moving over the keypad. It took the techie only a few minutes to review and decipher which key was being struck and in what sequence. To guess wrong was to risk setting off an alarm. Now all they needed was for one of them to get in there.

--------------o---------------

"_There you are, D-0266-M. I trust you are feeling well enough to feel uncomfortable?"_

Wizard groaned inwardly. Nightmare had just left and not quarter had gone by but Demon was back again. Was he to be allowed no rest?

"Always so solicitous of my welfare..." Wizard began, but stopped when Dae held up the armashink so he could see it. He warily eyed the other. "Something tells me you didn't bring that because you thought I might catch a chill."

"How very witty," Dae smiled. He walked close enough to lay a hand on Mera's chin. "You possess an intelligent mind for a mere Datan. Indeed, I must admit that I am beginning to see just what Myotis finds so appealing about you."

"Oh joy. Just what I wanted, another groupie," Wizard deadpanned. Inside, he was shaking. This was not a good development. Doctor Dae was extraordinarly twisted when it came to torture, but sexual abuse he had always considered beneath him. When had the Demon decided to culture a libido?

"Not quite...as I said before, you will never be the center of my universe." Dark fingers fiddled with a strand of the blonde hair. "However, I would not be adverse to having you as a golden satellite circling around in some off-side corner."

"Sounds positively boring. That settles it...I'm getting an appointment with my hair stylist to die my hair black..or...br..." the words trailed off into a growling purr of pleasure that made his whole torso veberate. Something was giving the most positively exquisite scratchy feeling to the base of an ear. His whole world narrowed down to that one point of contact. Then it was gone. Snapping back into awareness, Wizard glared at his adversary, breathing hard. "This is getting old."

"On the contrary, I find it quite amusing," chuckled, Dae who took a moment to unwrap a corner of the armashink from his fingers while indicating where Wizard's hospital gown had grown a noticeable tent and wet spot. The doctor did not see the need to mention that the top of his trousers looked much the same. "The original terms are to undo this scarf and with it what you were---and I will remove you from my care. I am now offering a second choice: keep your armashink and your equally moth-eaten identity, but wilingly submit to my authority. Here you will never see Belial again and I can guarantee you that would appeal to Major Pied--who has never liked your influence over dear Myotis. On the other hand, Pied could care less what I do in private. You would be free of both of them."

"And my submitting to you would entail?" Wizard asked with a tired sigh. It had been meant to be a rheutorical question. Deep down, though, he flinched to realize that part of him was seriously considering the offer. By now Captain Flahm should have seen that the situation was hopeless for a rescue and gotten Teiru back safely to Serval. He was alone and at the mercy of the Viral society facing intense brainwashing that would eventually be successful. Any chance at suicide would be rigorously denied. This could be his only opportunity to at least remember who he had been.

"Just what it says. If I want you to get on all fours, bark like a dog and beg for my touch you will do so without hesitation. Or I might decide I want you to use every means at your disposal to seduce me like the well-trained slut of Belial's you are. I admit my forays into the world of sexual appetites have been few and long ago, so I can't say with any certainty as yet what exactly I'll have you do to stimulate the admittedly stunted erotic center of my brain."

No better than with Belial, then. No worse either. Wizard closed his eyes and resigned himself to the inevitable. "I..."

The door chime sounded.


End file.
